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Volume  1 


L 


TABLE  OF  COIITErTS 

1.  Statement  concerning  the  institute. 

2.  Letter  to  Mr.  Perkins  relative  to  the  institute.  190i* . 
5.  The  Institute  and  cooperative  bankin^p-.   1909. 

4.  Resolution  passed  by  the  national  grange.  1910.  c   coDieR 

5.  Price  Fluctuations  in  the  staples:  their  inl'luence  on 

the  v/elfare  of  the  state.   1910.   £  copies. 

6.  Its  Labors  in  behalf  of  economic  betterment.   1910. 

7.  General  introduction  to  the  bulletins  of  the  bureau  of 

agricultural  intelligence  and  of  diseases  of  plants. 
1910. 

8.  Heport  of  the  delegation  of  the  U.S.  to  the  general 

assembly  of  the  institute.   1911. 

9.  Message  from  the  president  of  the  U.S.   concerning 

creation  of  institute.   1906. 

10. Its  influence  on  economic  welfare.   1911. 

ll.Raiffeisen  System  of  rural  cooperative  credit,  its 
adaptation  and  adoption  in  the  U.£'.   1912. 

lE.L'Activite  de  lUnstitut.   191£. 

15. Le  Present  et  I'Avenir  de  l*Institut.   1912. 

14. Su  Importancia  para  la  America  Latina,  en  especial 
para  Chile.   1913. 

If;. Message  from  the  president  of  the  U.S.  concerning 
the  general  assembly  of  the  institute.   1913. 

16. Board  of  Agriculture  and  fisheries.  The  Institute- 
Its  objects  and  its  publications.    1912. 

17. The  Landschaft.   Go-operative  rural  credit.   1912. 

16. Pamphlet  concerning  the  institute.   1912. 

19. The  Way  out  of  the  rut.   191.^.  2  copies. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

Boston  Library  Consortium  IVIember  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/reportofunitedst01unit2 


TABLE  OP  COIITEITTS  (cont.) 

20.  Concerning  the  international  year  "book  of 

agricultural  statistics.   1913,  1^J14. 

21.  Steadying  the  world's  prices  of  the  staples.  1914. 

22.  Proposal  for  an  international  conference  on  the 

regulation  and  control  of  ocean  carriage  by  means 
of  an  international  commerce  conii::iesion. ...-,. 

£?.  Concerning  the  fourth  volume  of  the  International 
year-book  of  agricultural  legislation.   ISlf.. 

24.  Letter  to  Senator  Hiram  W.  Johnson  on  the  work  of 

the  institute.   1918. 

25.  Our  foreig-n  trade  after  the  war.   1918. 
26. 


< 


62d  Congress,  )  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES.  J  Document 
M  Session.       \ ]    No.  303. 

DELEGATE  OF  THE  UNITLD' :- A  .  ;-:> 

MEMATIONAL  INSTITUTE  OF  AGPaCULTURE 

REPORT  OF  UNITED  STATES  DELEGATION  TO  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY 
OF  INTERNATIONAL  INSTITUTE  OF  AGRICULTURE. 


LE  TTEE 

FROM 

THE  SECRETARY   OF  STATE, 


TRANSMITTING 


BEPOIIT  OF  THE  DELEGATION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  TO  THE 
GENERAL  ASSEMBLY  OF  THE  INTERNATIONAL  INSTITXTTE  OF 
AGRICULTURE,  1911. 


December  13,  1911. — Referred  to  the  Committee  on  Agriculture  and  ordered  to  be 

printed. 


Department  of  State, 
WasJiington,  December  12,  1911. 
Hon.  Champ  Clark, 

Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith,  for  the  information  of 
the  House  of  Representatives,  the  report  of  the  delegates  of  the 
United  States  to  the  General  Assembly  of  the  International  Insti- 
tute of  Agriculture  which  convened  at  Rome,  Italy,  in  May,  1911. 

The  Department  of  State  feels  itself  under  obligations  to  transmit 
this  report  to  Congress  by  reason  of  the  fact  that  the  delegates 
attended  the  general  assembly  in  pursuance  of  legislation  by  Con- 
gress (deficiency  act  approved  March  4,  1911);  but  no  request  for 
the  printing  of  the  report  is  to  be  implied  from  the  act  of  trans- 
mission. To  the  contrary,  the  Department  of  State  is  opposed  to 
the  printing  of  the  report  if  the  cost  thereof  is  to  be  chargeable  to  it 
under  the  joint  resolution  approved  March  30,  1906,  "to  correct 
abuses  in  the  public  printmg  and  to  provide  for  the  allotment  of 
certain  documents  and  reports,"  inasmuch  as  the  appropriation  for 
printing  for  the  Department  of  State  is  not  sufficient  to  provide  for 
the  department's  printing  and  also  for  the  printing  of  documents  of 
this  description,  as  to  which  the  department  serves  merely  as  a 
conduit . 

I  have  the  honor  to-  be,  sir, 

Your  obedient  servant,  P.  C.  Knox. 


BiuiaiHiai 


2  UrTEBNATIOlSrAL.  INSTITUTE  OP  AGRICULTURE. 

Washington,  September  t,  1911. 
The  Secretary  of  State. 

Sir:  The  delegates  on  the  part  of  the  United  States  to  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture  which  con- 
vened at  Rome,  Italy,  in  May,  1911,  have  the  honor  to  submit  the 
following  report: 

The  general  assembly  is  the  legislative  body  of  the  International 
Institute  of  Agriculture,  It  consists  of  delegates  from  each  of  the 
countries  which  are  parties  to  the  treaty,  dated  June  7,  1905,  by  which 
the  institute  was  created,  and  which  number  at  present  48.  The 
general  assembly  meets  at  intervals  of  one  or  two  years  to  determine 
the  policies  ana  adopt  the  budget  of  the  institute.  The  executive 
authority  of  the  institute  is  the  permanent  committee,  consisting  of 
one  delegate  from  each  adhering  country.  A  considerable  propor- 
tion of  the  members  of  the  permanent  committee  spend  substantially 
all  their  time  in  Rome,  which  is  the  seat  of  the  institute.  The  per- 
manent committee,  like  the  cabinet  in  most  European  countries,  is 
not  only  the  principal  executive  body,  but  also  the  one  that  initiates 
most  of  the  measures  which  come  before  the  general  assembly.  In 
accordance  with  the  terms  of  the  treaty  creating  the  institute,  the 
permanent  committee  submitted  to  the  various  governments,  some 
weeks  in  advance  of  the  present  meeting  of  the  general  assembly,  a 
program  of  subjects  to  be  considered.  At  the  meeting  the  perma- 
nent committee  submitted  various  reports  and  recommended  various 
resolutions,  the  reports  and  resolutions  on  each  subject  being  pre- 
sented on  behalf  or  the  committee  by  one  of  its  members,  designated 
as  a  reporter. 

The  members  of  the  general  assembly  were  divided,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  considering  the  various  subjects  on  the  program,  into  four 
commissions  or  committees,  most  individual  delegates  being  mem- 
bers of  two  or  more  of  these  commissions.  The  reports  and  recom- 
mendations of  the  permanent  committee  were  submitted  to  these 
commissions  and  carefully  discussed.  The  conclusions  of  the  com- 
missions were  then  embodied  in  a  formal  report  to  the  general 
assembly,  which,  in  most  instances,  approved  the  recommenda- 
tions of  the  commissions  without  change. 

Of  the  48  countries  adhering  to  the  institute,  all  but  2  were  repre- 
sented by  delegates  to  the  general  assembly.  The  number  of  dele- 
gates varied  from  1  to  6  from  each  country,  the  total  number  present 
being  99. 

In  connection  with  the  detailed  official  report  of  the  actions  taken 
by  the  general  assembly,  hereto  annexed,  the  members  of  the  dele- 
gation wish  to  call  special  attention  to  a  few  of  the  most  important 
of  these  actions. 

One  question  which  was  considered  by  the  general  assembly  and 
which  will  require  special  action  by  the  United  States  relates  to  the 

{)ublication  of  the  reports  and  bulletins  of  the  institute  in  the  English 
anguage.  In  accordance  with  the  treaty  creating  the  institute 
French  is  the  official  language.  The  funds  at  the  disposal  of  the 
institute  have  been  sufficient  thus  far  to  permit  the  translation  and 
printing  of  the  various  reports  and  bulletins  in  the  English  language 
as  well.  The  short  monthly  bulletins,  dealing  with  crop  conditions, 
have  also  hitherto  been  puoUshed  in  three  or  four  other  languages 
besides  French.     It  is  apparent,  however,  that  additional  funds  will 


INTEENATIONAL  INSTITUTE   OP   AGRICULTURE.  3 

be  required  hereafter  if  such  translations  are  to  be  pubhshed.  It 
was  the  feeUng  of  the  institute  that,  despite  the  fact  that  EngKsh  is 
doubtless  the  most  important  commercial  language,  it  is  not  proper 
that  the  expense  of  an  Enghsh  translation  or  of  translations  into  a 
limited  number  of  other  languages  should  be  met  out  of  the  general 
funds  of  the  institute,  which  are  contributed  by  all  of  the  48  countries, 
some  of  which  derive  little  direct  benefit  from  these  translations.  It 
was  agreed  by  the  institute  that  additional  funds  for  the  publications 
ought  hereafter  to  be  secured  through  paid  advertisements  to  be 
inserted  in  the  publications  and  through  subscriptions  to  the  publi- 
cations or  direct  contributions  by  such  countries  as  desire  the  print- 
ing of  the  reports  in  languages  other  than  French. 

In  view  of  this  action  of  the  institute,  the  American  delegates 
decided  informally,  after  consultation,  and  subject  to  your  approval 
and  to  the  action  of  Congress,  that  an  English  edition  of  the  publica- 
tions ou.ght  to  be  secured  by  direct  appropriation  on  the  part  of  the 
English-speaking  countries  adhering  to  the  institute. 

The  estimated  cost  of  tranlating  into  English  and  printing  these 
documents  is  about  $12,000  per  annum,  of  w^hich  amount  the  delegates 
from  the  United  States  are  of  the  opinion  that  the  United  States 
should  contribute  $5,000,  leaving  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland,  the  Dominion  of  Canada,  and  other  English- 
speaking  countries  to  contribute  the  remaining  amount  needed. 

It  is  therefore  recommended  by  the  delegates  that  in'  the  next 
estimate  submitted  by  the  Department  of  State  to  Congress  an  item  of 
$5,000  be  included,  in  addition  to  other  moneys  appropriated  for  the 
institute  and  for  the  payment  of  delegates  thereto,  as  a  proper  amount 
for  the  United  States  to  contribute  as  its  share  of  the  cost  of  trans- 
lation of  the  publications  into  English  and  their  printmg  in  that  lan- 
guage. There  was  an  informal  understanding  with  the  executive 
officers  of  the.  institute  that  if  this  v/ere  done  the  institute  would 
supply  as  many  English  copies  of  each  document  to  the  United  States 
as  is  possible  on  the  basis  of  its  contribution,  which  publications  will 
be  subject  to  distribution  by  our  Government,  either  through  the 
Department  of  State  or  through  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  or 
otherwise.  It  is  believed  by  the  delegation  that  these  copies  might 
advantageously  be  distributed  free  of  charge  to  agricultural  colleges, 
agricultural  societies  and  institutions,  and  the  leading  agricultural 
papers  of  the  United  States. 

The  publications  which  it  is  thus  proposed  to  distribute  in  the 
English  language  consist  of  the  monthly  Bulletin  of  the  Bureau  of 
Agricultural  Intelligence  and  Plant  Diseases,  the  monthly  Bulletin 
of  the  Bureau  of  Economic  and  Social  Intelligence,  and  the  monthly 
Bulletin  of  Agricultural  Statistics.  Each  of  these  publications 
contains  much  valuable  information.  The  first  named  summarizes 
the  experience  of  all  the  leading  countries,  as  shown  in  official  and 
private  publications,  with  respect  to  methods  of  agriculture,  and 
particularly  methods  of  combating  plant  diseases.  The  second 
contains  information  of  great  value  regarding  cooperation  in  agri- 
cultural industry,  such  as  cooperative  marketmg,  agricultural 
banking  systems,  and  the  like.  The  third  contains  official  estimates 
of  the  acreage  planted  to  various  crops,  their  condition  during  growth, 
and  the  amount  of  harvest,  together  with  information  regarding 
domestic  animals. 


4  INTERNATIOlSrALi  INSTITUTE   OP  AGRICULTUEE. 

Aaother  recommendation  of  the  general  assembly,  in  which  the 
delegates  from  the  United  States  cordially  concur,  is  that  steps  be 
taken  "to  appoint  an  international  technical  commission,  composed 
of  eminent  specialists  from  the  adhering  countries,  to  take  up  the 
study  of  effective  international  protection  against  the  invasion  and 
(spread  of  diseases  of  plants  and  msect  pests."  It  is  well  known  that 
much  more  than  half  of  the  varieties  of  insects  injurious  to  plants 
were  imported  into  the  United  States  from  other  countries,  while 
the  proportion  of  plant  diseases  thus  introduced  is  probably  still 
greater.  For  the  most  part  both  insects  and  diseases  were  intro- 
duced through  imported  nursery  stock  and  seeds,  and  might  have 
been  prevented  either  through  proper  quarantine  regulations  at  our 
own  ports  of  entry  or  by  proper  inspection  at  the  points  where  the 
shipments  originated. 

One  important  function  of  the  proposed  international  commission 
would  be  to  suggest  and  help  to  frame  such  legislation  or  regulations 
in  the  various  countries  as  would  minimize  the  danger  of  future 
spread  from  one  country  to  another  of  either  plant  diseases  or  inju- 
rious insects.  There  can  be  no  doubt,  also,  that  such  a  commission, 
having  available  all  the  information  acquired  in  aU  the  countries  as 
to  the  best  methods  of  treating  diseases  and  of  controDing  or  destroy- 
ing insects,  would  be  able,  through  the  study  of  so  wide  a  range  of 
data,  to  reach  invaluable  results.  If  such  a  commission  were  created, 
not  only  the  conclusions  it  might  reach,  but  the  data  upon  which 
those  conclusions  were  founded,  could  be  made  available  for  the  use 
of  the  scientists  engaged  upon  like  problems  in  our  National  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture  and  in  our  numerous  State  agricultural  colleges 
aiid  the  benefit  sure  to  result  can  hardly  be  estimated.  On  account 
of  the  direct  advantage  sure  to  accrue  to  the  United  States,  therefore, 
as  well  as  by  reason  of  the  duty  wliich  rests  upon  us  as  one  of  the 
family  of  nations  to  bear  our  share  in  any  work  that  is  undertaken 
for  the  benefit  of  all,  the  delegates  earnestly  hope  that  when  this 
recommendation  is  brought  before  you,  as  it  wiU  be  in  due  course 
from  the  permanent  committee  of  the  institute,  it  may  have  your 
careful  consideration. 

It  was  a  matter  of  pride  to  the  delegates  from  the  United  States 
that  the  Campbell  system  of  dry  farming — ^first  developed  and  demon- 
strated by  a  citizen  of  our  country — was  made  the  subject  of  one  of 
the  most  elaborate  and  interesting  papers  presented  for  the  considera- 
tion of  the  general  assembly.  This  report  was  presented  by  the 
delegate  from  Hungary,  M.  De  Miklos  de  Miklosvar,  and  was  the  sub- 
ject of  long  and  able  discussion.  It  was  shown  that  over  90  per  cent 
of  the  countries  represented  in  the  institute  are  directly  or  indirectly 
interested  in  the  solution  of  the  problems  connected  with  dry  farm- 
ing, and  it  was  decided  that  the  report  of  M.  De  Miklos  de  Miklosvar 
should  be  forwarded  to  the  adhering  Governments  and  their  attention 
especially  called  to  the  questions  it  raises. 

Another  very  important  action  taken  by  the  institute,  perhaps  the 
most  important  of  all  things  considered,  related  to  the  form  of  the 
reports  of  the  condition  of  growing  crops.  Without  entering  into 
technical  details,  it  may  be  said,  in  general  terms,  that  the  question 
at  issue  was  whether  the  institute  should  undertake  to  present  these 
reports  ia  the  form  of  definite  estimates  of  the  percentage  of  the 
probable  yield  as  compared  with  average  yield,  or  whether  the  re- 


INTERNATIONAL,  INSTITUTE   OP  AGRICULTURE.  5 

ports  should  be  expressed  in  a  much  more  indefinite  manner  by  a 
system  of  "notes  or  classification,"  which  are  practically  equivalent 
merely  to  descriptive  words  regarding  the  condition  of  the  crop. 

The  first  of  these  two  plans  is  substantially  the  plan  employed  in 
the  United  States,  and  the  American  delegates  vigorously  advocated 
its  adoption  by  the  institute  as  the  only  method  which  would  permit 
combination  of  the  reports  of  the  several  countries  into  a  single  state- 
ment, and  the  only  one  which  would  give  information  requiring  no 
further  interpretation  by  the  reader.  It  is  a  matter  of  much  congratu- 
lation that  the  general  assembly  saw  fit  to  adopt  this  first  plan.  Prac- 
tically this  means  that  the  Institute  of  Agriculture  will  seek  hereafter 
to  induce  all  the  countries  in  its  membership  to  adopt  a  basis  of  crop 
reporting  substantially  similar  to  that  employed  by  the  United 
States,  or  at  least  to  furnish  facilities  by  which  their  crop  reports  can 
be  converted  to  a  basis  similar  to  that  employed  in  the  United  States. 
The  members  of  the  delegation  from  the  United  States  are  of  the  opin- 
ion that  the  action  taken  on  this  subject  at  the  meeting  of  the  general 
assembly  assures  an  ultimate  great  measure  of  success  to  the  work  of 
the  institute  in  crop  reporting.  They  were  convinced  that  only 
through  an  ofiicial  international  institute  of  this  character  would  it 
be  possible  to  secure  complete  and  correct  information  regarding 
crops  and  crop  conditions,  and  thus  to  prevent  improper  manipula- 
tion of  prices  of  agricultural  products. 

It  must  be  recognized  that  the  perfecting  of  the  system  of  inter- 
national agricultural  statistics  proposed  by  the  institute  will  neces- 
sarily require  a  very  considerable  period  of  time.  However  perfect 
in  principle  may  be  the  scheme  of  compiling  the  statistics  devised  by 
the  institute,  it  can  not  be  applied  in  practice  in  a  thoroughly  satis- 
factory manner  until  all  the  leading  countries  have  placed  their  sys- 
tems of  agricultural  statistics  upon  a  uniform  basis,  or  at  least  upon 
such  a  basis  as  will  permit  the  conversion  of  the  statistics  to  a  uniform 
principle.  It  is  encouraging  to  note  that,  largely  through  the  influ- 
ence of  the  institute,  there  has  already  been  a  rapid  movement  tov/ard 
uniformity  in  crop  statistics  of  the  various  countries  during  the  past 
few  years,  and  the  attitude  of  the  delegations  of  most  of  the  countries 
at  the  meeting  of  the  institute  indicated  clearly  that  further  progress 
toward  such  fundamental  uniformity  will  take  place  steadily  in  the 
future. 

Attention  is  also  called  to  the  action  of  the  institute  with  respect  to 
international  statistics  of  stocks  of  agricultural  products,  of  exports 
and  imports,  and  of  prices  of  such  products.  The  United  States  is 
almost  the  only  country  which  has  even  approximately  satisfactory 
statistics  of  stocks,  and  the  mstitute  has  accordingly  urged  upon  other 
countries  to  begin  the  collection  of  such  statistics.  There  is  a  great 
lack  of  uniformity  and  of  comparabilitj^  among  the  different  countries 
with  respect  to  statistics  of  exports  and  imports.  The  institute  accord- 
ingly recommends  to  the  governments  to  consider  means  of  correcting 
these  difficulties,  and  will  shortly  submit  definite  suggestions  regard- 
ing such  means  for  the  consideration  of  the  several  governments.  The 
institute  proposes  as  soon  as  possible  to  begin  the  publication  of 
monthly  reports  on  these  classes  of  statistics. 

The  members  of  the  delegation  from  the  United  States  wish  to 
express  their  appreciation  of  the  great  service  which  His  Majesty 
the  King  of  Italy  has  rendered  to  the  institute  throughout  its  career. 


6  INTERITATTOlSrAX.  INSTITUTE   OF  AGRICULTURE. 

It  was  at  his  invitation  that  the  conference  was  held  at  Home  in 
1905,  which  resulted  in  the  treaty  for  the  organization  of  the  insti- 
tute. He  has,  at  his  own  expense,  donated  land,  conveniently  and 
beautifully  situated,  and  has  erected  a  palatial  building  for  the 
offices  of  the  institute  and  for  the  meetings  of  its  general  assembly. 
He  also  contributes  toward  the  current  operations  of  the  institute  by 
munificent  private  donations,  distinct  from  the  regular  contributions 
of  the  Italian  Government,  At  the  reception  tendered  by  the  King 
of  Italy  to  the  delegates  to  the  general  assembly  he  expressed  his 
warm  and  active  interest  in  the  work  and  success  of  the  institute,  and 
was  in  turn  thanked  enthusiastically  on  behalf  of  the  institute  for 
the  support  he  has  given.  The  members  of  the  American  delegation 
had  the  honor  of  a  private  and  informal  audience  with  the  King  of 
Italy  during  their  stay  in  Rome. 

The  delegation  also  desires  to  express  its  gratification  at  the  cour- 
tesy which  was  shown  them,  as  representatives  of  the  United  States, 
not  only  by  the  delegates  from  other  countries,  but  by  the  officials  of 
the  Italian  Government  and  of  the  city  of  Rome.  The  recognition 
which  was  accorded  to  the  members  of  the  delegation  enabled  them 
to  take  an  active  and  effective  part  in  the  work  of  the  institute,  and 
they  were  shown  every  possible  consideration  by  all  with  whom  they 
came  into  personal  or  official  relations. 

The  members  of  the  delegation  can  not  refrain  from  calling  atten- 
tion to  the  great  service  which  has  been  rendered  to  this  country  and 
to  all  the  countries  of  the  world  by  the  Hon.  David  Lubin,  the  per- 
manent delegate  of  the  United  States  to  the  Institute  of  Agriculture. 
Mr.  Lubin  was  the  first  to  conceive  the  idea  of  estabfishing  an  Inter- 
national Institute  of  Agriculture.  He  devoted  years  of  effort  in  the 
face  of  opposition  to  awakening  an  interest  in  the  subject  among  the 
nations  of  the  world  and  bringing  about  the  adoption  of  the  treaty 
which  created  the  institute.  Since  the  adoption  of  the  treaty  he  has, 
as  delegate  of  the  United  States  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the 
institute,  given  practically  all  of  his  tim«  without  salary  to  the  work 
of  the  institute.  The  delegation  found  when  at  Rome  that  the 
service  which  Mr.  Lubin  has  rendered  is  fully  and  highly  appreciated 
by  the  Governments  of  the  various  countries  represented  in  the 
institute  and  by  the  delegations  of  those  countries  to  the  institute. 
It  is  a  matter  of  congratulation  to  the  people  of  the  United  States 
that  this  important  international  movement  owes  its  origin  to  one 
of  our  own  citizens. 

Whether  there  could  be  estabhshed  an  international  institute  of 
agriculture  which  would  justify  its  name  and  become  a  vitally 
helpful  agency  in  the  study  and  solution  of  agricultural  problems  the 
world  over,  has  been  a  question  in  the  minds  of  many  sincere  students 
of  those  problems.  That  such  an  institute  has  been  established,  and 
that  it  will  grow  steadily  and  rapidly  in  influence  and  in  practical 
efficiency,  is  the  profound  conviction  of  all  those  who  attended  the 
last  general  assembly  and  studied  at  first  hand  the  work  that  has 
been  done,  the  organization  that  has  been  perfected,  and  the  scope  of 
future  plans.  In  the  leading  countries  of  Europe,  where  by  reason  of 
proximity  to  its  headquarters  the  work  of  the  institute  is  best  known, 
the  enthusiasm  for  it  is  universal.  This  is  attested  by  the  fact  that 
all  of  these  countries  not  only  maintain  a  permanent  delegate,  but 
were  represented  at  the  general  assembly  by  their  full  quota  of  dele- 


INTERNATIONAL  INSTITUTE   OF  AGEICULTURE.  7 

gates,  all  of  whom  were  men  of  eminence  and  influence  whose  very 
presence  was  a  testimonial  to  the  success  of  the  institute.  One  of  the 
delegates  from  the  United  States,  Mr.  Victor  H.  Olmsted,  after  the 
adjournment  of  the  general  assembly,  was  required  to  travel  through 
certain  European  countries  for  the  purpose  of  securing  informsition 
needed  by  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  and  in  each  of  the  countries 
visited  he  met  prominent  officials  and  private  citizens  who  spoke  with 
enthusiasm  of  the  work  of  the  institute.  Without  exception  they 
seemed  deeply  impressed  with  the  good  work  already  done  and  its 
ultimate  great  usefulness  to  every  nation  adhering  to  it. 

The  members  of  the  delegation  desire  in  conclusion  to  express  their 
conviction  that  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture  is  destined 
not  only  to  serve  a  most  useful  purpose  with  respect  to  the  gathering 
and  diffusion  of  information  regarding  agriculture  and  commerce 
throughout  the  world,  but  to  fill  a  much  broader  sphere  of  usefulness. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  potent  instrumentahties  for  the  unification  of 
the  world,  for  the  promotion  of  the  general  welfare  of  the  peoples  of  the 
earth,  for  the  establishment  and  maintenance  of  closer  friendly  rela- 
tions among  the  nations,  and  for  the  further  development  of  that 
earnest  cooperation,  that  unity  of  action,  which  is  rapidly  making 
one  mind  and  one  heart  for  the  world.  An  abundance  of  good  food  at 
prices  which  afford  just  remuneration  to  the  producer  and  are  at  the 
same  time  within  the  means  of  the  consumer  is  one  of  the  essentials  of 
a  high  civihzation.  To  the  problem  of  the  production  and  distribu- 
tion of  the  world's  food  supply  the  institute  is  addressing  itself. 
But  above  and  beyond  all  this  the  institute  is  a  tremendous  force  for 
the  improvement  of  international  manners  and  morals  and  conduct, 
and  for  the  maintenance  of  international  peace. 

Appended  to  this  report  is  (1 )  a  list  of  the  delegates  to  the  meeting 
of  the  general  assembly  from  all  nations;  (2)  a  recapitulation  of  the 
reports,  debates,  and  resolutions  of  the  general  assembly;  and  (3)  a 
report  by  the  delegate  of  the  United  States  to  the  permanent  com- 
mittee, Hon.  David  Lubin. 
Very  respectfully, 

David  J.  Foster. 

Chas.  F.  Scott. 

E.  Dana  Durand. 

Victor  H.  Olmsted. 

Edgar  R.  Champlin. 


Intbrnattonal  Institute  op  Agkicultueb. 

[Third  session,  May,  1911.] 

NAMES  AND  POSITIONS  OF  DELEGATES  OF  THE  ADHERING  COUNTRIES  TO  THE  GENERAL 

ASSEMBLY. 

Germany. — His  Excellency  Dr.  Thiel,  acting  priAry  councilor;  Dr.  T.  Mueller,  acting 
superior  privy  councilor,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the  International 
Institute  of  Agriculture;  Dr.  van  der  Borght,  president  of  the  imperial  bureau  of 
statistics;  Prof.  Dade,  secretary  general  of  the  Council  of  German  Agriculturalists; 
Baron  de  Putlitz  auf  Grosspankow,  representative  of  the  German  Society  of  Agricul- 
ture; M.  de  Levetzow  auf  Sielbeck,  representative  of  the  Federation  of  Agricultural- 
ists; M.  Johaansen,  councilor  on  agricultural  economy,  vice  president  of  the  Imperial 
Federation  of  German  Cooperative  Agricultural  Societies. 


8  INTERNATIONAL  INSTITUTE   OF  AGRIOHLTUBE. 

Argentma. — ^His  Excellency  M.  E.  Portela,  minister  plenipotentiary  of  the  Argen- 
tine Republic  to  His  Majesty  the  King  of  Italy,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee 
of  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture. 

Austria.— CovloX,  Franz  Attems,  chamberlain  of  His  Majesty,  provincial  deputy, 
reporter  on  agriculture  to  the  provincial  deputation  of  Styria;  Dr.  Ernst  Seidler, 
director  general  in  the  imperial  ministry  of  agriculture;  Baron  Hans  de  Cnobloch, 
ministerial  section  councilor  in  the  imperial  ministry  of  agriculture;  Chevalier  Victor 
de  Pozzi,  councilor  in  the  imperial  ministry  of  agriculture,  delegate  to  the  permanent 
committee  of  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture. 

Hungary. — M.  Edmond  de  Miklos  de  Miklosvar,  secretary  of  state  for  agriculture, 
member  of  the  chamber  of  magnates,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the 
International  Institute  of  Agriculture;  M.  Laurent  de  Roth  de  Pongyelok,  ministerial 
councilor,  chief  of  division  in  the  ministry  of  agriculture;  M.  Etienne  de  Bemat  de 
Koriat,  director  of  the  Confederation  of  Hungarian  Agriculturalists;  M.  Jules  de  Rubinek 
de  Zaitvabessenyo,  director  of  the  National  Society  of  Agriculturalists;  M.  George  de 
Linhart,  royal  councilor,  formerly  professor  in  the  Academy  of  Agriculture;  M.  Zvoni- 
mir  Zepic,  township  councilor. 

Belgium. — ^M.  Proost,  director  general  of  the  rural  office  in  the  ministry  of  agriculture 
and  public  works;  M.  O.  BoUe,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the  Inter- 
national Institute  of  Agriculture. 

Brazil. — Prof.  Vincenzo  Grossi,  consul  of  Brazil  at  Rome;  Dr.  Cortines  Laxe,  under 
commissioner  of  Brazil  to  the  international  expositions  at  Turin  and  Rome. 

Bulgaria. — M.  D.  Rizoff,  minister  plenipotentiary  of  Bulgaria  to  His  Majesty  the 
King  of  Italy,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the  International  Institute 
of  Agriculture. 

Chile. — M.  S.  Aldunate  Bascunan,  minister  plenipotentiary  of  Chile  to  His  Majesty 
the  King  of  Italy;  M.  Alejandro  Bertrand;  M.  Enrique  Paut-Vergara,  consul  general 
of  Chile  in  Italy. 

China. — ^His  Excellency  M.  Ou-Tsong-Lien,  minister  plenipotentiary  of  China  to 
His  Majesty  the  King  of  Italy. 

Costa  Rica. — ^M.  R.  Montealegre,  minister  plenipotentiary  of  Costa  Rica  to  His 
Majesty  the  King  of  Italy. 

Cuba. — ^M.  C.  M.  de  Cespedes  y  Quesada,  minister  plenipotentiary  of  Cuba  to  His 
Majesty  the  King  of  Italy,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the  International 
Institute  of  Agriculture. 

Denmark. — IJaron  H.  C.  0.  de  Rosenkrantz,  grand  huntsman  of  the  court;  M.  H. 
H.  Konow,  gentleman  of  the  chamber,  secretary  of  the  legation  of  Denmark  to  the 
Government  of  Italy,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the  International 
Institute  of  Agriculture;  M.  K.  Vall6e,  secretary  in  chief  in  the  ministry  of  agriculture. 

Ottoman  Empire. — Dr.  Mehmed  Dj^mil  Bey,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee 
of  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture. 

Egypt. — M.  B.  Chimirri,  deputy  to  the  Italian  Parliament,  delegate  to  the  per- 
manent committee  of  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture. 

EquadoT. — M.  A.  Norero,  minister  plenipotentiary  of  Equador  to  His  Majesty  the 
King  of  Italy. 

Spain. — M.  Enrique  Trenor  y  Montesinos,  Coimt  of  Montornes,  chief  of  the  agri- 
cultural service  of  the  Province  of  Valence;  M.  Ignacio  Girona  y  Villanova,  engineer 
in  agronomics;  M.  Augusto  Echeverria  y  Bardel,  engineer  in  agronomics,  councilor 
of  agriculture,  delegate  of  Spain  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the  International 
Institute  of  Agriculture;  M.  Leopoldo  Salas  y  Amat,  engineer  in  agronomics,  chief 
of  the  agricultural  section  of  Malaga. 

United  States  oj  America. — Hon.  David  J.  Foster,  former  chairman  of  the  Committee 
on  Foreign  Affairs  of  the  House  of  Representatives;  Hon.  Charles  F.  Scott,  former 
chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Agriculture  of  the  House  of  Representatives;  Mr.  Vic- 
tor H.  Olmsted,  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Statistics  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture; 
Mr.  E.  Dana  Durand,  Director  of  the  Censuo  of  the  United  States;  Gen.  Edgar  R. 
Champlin;  Mr.  David  Lubin,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the  Interna- 
tional Institute  of  Apiculture. 

Ethiopia. — Prof.  Cuboni,  director  of  the  section  of  vegetable  pathology  at  Rome, 
delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture. 

France. — ^M.  Daubrfee,  councilor  of  state,  director  general  of  waters  and  forests  in 
the  ministry  of  agriculture;  M.  Vassiliere,  director  of  agriculture  in  the  ministry  of 
agricultm-e;  M.  Dabat,  director  of  hydraulics  and  of  agricultural  improvements  in 
the  ministry  of  agriculture;  M.  Louis-Dop,  vice  president  of  the  International  Insti- 
iute  of  Agriculture;  M.  Decharme,  chief  of  the  service  of  mutual  credit  and  agricul- 
tural cooperation  in  the  ministry  of  agriculture;  M.  Lesage,  chief  of  the  service  of 
technical  studies  in  the  office  of  agricultural  information  in  the  ministry  of  agriculture. 


INTEKNATIONAL  INSTITUTE   OF  AGRICULTURE.  9 

Algeria. — ^M.  Lesage,  chief  of  the  service  of  technical  studies  in  the  office  of  agricul- 
tural information  in  the  ministry  of  agricultiure  of  France. 

Regency  of  Tunis. — M.  Malet,  engineer  of  agronomics,  chef  du  secretariat  of  the 
office  of  agriculture,  commerce,  and  colonization. 

Great  Britain  and  Ireland. — Sir  Thomas  H.  Elliott,  K.  C.  B.,  permanent  secretary 
in  the  board  of  agriculture  and  fisheries;  Mr.  T.  P.  Gill,  secretaiy  in  the  department 
of  agriculture  and  technical  instruction  for  Ireland;  Mr.  H.  C.  Bering,  counselor  of 
the  Embassy  of  Great  Britain  to  the  Italian  Government,  delegate  to  the  permanent 
committee  of  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture. 

Australia. — Mr.  H.  C.  Bering,  counselor  of  the  Embassy  of  Great  Britain  to  the 
Italian  Government,  delegate  to  the  permament  committee  of  the  International 
Institute  of  Agriculture. 

Canada.- — Hon.  Arthur  Boyer,  senator,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the 
International  Institute  of  Agriculture;  Mr.  T.  K.  Doherty,  chief  of  the  bureau  of 
publications  of  the  department  of  agriculture,  special  correspondent  of  the  Inter- 
national Institute  of  Agriculture. 

British  India. — Sir  Edward  Buck,  K.  C.  S.  I.,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee 
of  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture. 

New  Zealand. — Mr.  H.  G.  Bering,  counselor  of  the  embassy  of  Great  Britain  to  the 
Italian  Government,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the  International 
Institute  of  Agriculture. 

Mauritius. — Mr.  H.  G.  Bering,  counselor  of  the  embassy  of  Great  Britain  to  the 
Italian  Government,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the  International 
Institute  of  Agriculture. 

Greece. — M.  A.  Carapanos,  charge  d'affaires  of  Greece  to  the  Italian  Government. 

Italy. — Marquis  R.  Cappelli,  president  of  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture, 
vice  president  of  the  Chamber  of  Beputies;  M.  L.  Bodio,  councilor  of  state,  senator 
of  the  Kingdom;  M.  G.  Raineri,  former  minister  of  agriculture,  industry,  and  com- 
merce, deputy  in  Parliament;  M.  E.  Ottavi,  deputy  in  Parliament,  president  of  the 
Society  of  Italian  Agriculturalists;  Br.  V.Magaldi,  director  general  of  credit,  savings, 
cooperation,  and  social  insurance  in  the  ministry  of  agriculture,  industry,  and  com- 
merce; M.  L.  Luciolli,  director  of  the  bureau  of  customs,  treaties,  and  legislation  in 
the  ministry  of  finance;  Prof.  Chino  Valenti,  central  commissioner,  of  agricultural 
statistics  in  the  ministry  of  agriculture,  industry,  and  commerce;  Prof.  Palazzo, 
director  of  the  bureau  of  meteorology  and  of  geodynamics  in  the  ministry  of  agriculture, 
industry,  and  commerce. 

Erithrea  and  Italian  Somaliland. — M.  B.  Chimirri,  deputy  in  the  Italian  Parliament, 
delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture; 
Baron  G.  Sonnino,  Senator  of  the  Kingdom  of  Italy. 

Japan. — M.  Tozaburb  Tsukida,  expert  in  the  ministry  of  agriculture  and  com- 
merce ;  M.  Naotoshi  Marumo,  first  secretary  of  the  Embassy  of  Japan  to  the  Government 
of  Italy. 

Mexico. — M.  Attilie  Boschi-Huber,  consul  of  Mexico  at  Rome. 

Montenegro. ^M.  E.  Popovitch,  consul  general  of  Montenegro  at  Pvome;  M.  G.  Volpi, 
director  general  of  the  tobacco  monopoly  of  Moutenegro,  delegate  to  the  permanent 
committee  of  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture. 

Nicaragua. — M.  V.  E.  Bianchi,  consul  general  of  Nicaragua  at  Rome,  delegate  to  the 
permanent  committee  of  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture. 

Norway. — M.  Thor  Von  Bitten,  minister  plenipotentiary  of  Norway  to  His  Majesty 
the  King  of  Italy;  M.  A.  Fjelstad,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the  Inter- 
national Institute  of  Agriculture. 

Netherlands. — M.  H.  Jonkeer  Van  Weede,  minister  plenipotentiary  of  the  Nether- 
lands to  His  Majesty  the  King  of  Italy^  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the ' 
International  Institute  of  Agriculture. 

Peru. — Br.  M.  M.  Mesones,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the  Inter- 
national Institute  of  Agriculture. 

Persia. — M.  A.  del  Gallo,  Marquis  de  Roccagiovine,  delegate  to  the  permanent  com- 
mittee of  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture. 

Portugal. — M.  Luiz  Filippe  de  Castro,  professor  in  the  Institute  of  Agronomy  at 
Lisbon,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the  International  Institute  of  Agri- 
culture; M.  Lambertini  Pinto. 

Roumania. — M.  G.  C.  Nano,  minister  plenipotentiary  of  Roumania  to  His  Majesty 
the  King  of  Italy,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the  International  Institute 
of  Agriculture. 

Russia. — His  Excellency  M.  A.  Yermoloff,  secretary  of  state,  privy  councilor, 
member  of  the  council  of  the  Empire;  His  Excellency  Prof.  P.  Broounoff,  councilor 
of  state,  director  of  the  bureau  of  meteorology,  member  of  the  scientific  committee  of 


10  INTERNATIONAL  INSTITUTE   OF  AGRICULTURE. 

the  general  direction  of  agrarian  organization  and  of  agriculture;  His  Excellency 
M.  G.  Zabiello,  councilor  of  state,  consul  general  of  Russia  at  Rome,  delegate  to  the 
permanent  committee  of  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture;  M.  A.  Jaczevsky, 
member  of  the  scientific  committee  of  the  general  direction  of  agrarian  organization 
and  of  agriculture. 

San  Marino. — His  Excellency  Prof.  L.  Luzzatti,  minister  of  state  of  the  Kingdom 
of  Italy,  delegate  to  the  permanent  comjnittee  of  the  International  Institute  of 
Agriculture. 

Servia. — M.  Vouitch,  minister  plenipotentiary  of  Servia  to  His  Majesty  the  King 
of  Italy. 

Sweden. — Baron  C.  N.  D.  de  Bildt,  minister  plenipotentiary  of  Sweden  to  His  Maj- 
esty the  King  of  Italy;  Prof.  H.  J.  B.  Juhlin-Dannfelt,  secretary  of  the  Royal  Acad- 
emy of  Amcultxire  at  Stockholm. 

Switzerland. — Dr.  Jean-feaptiste  Pioda,  minister  plenipotentiary  of  Switzerland  to 
His  Majesty  the  King  of  Italy,  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee  of  the  Inter- 
national Institute  of  Agriculture;  Prof.  Ernest  Laur,  president  of  the  Swiss  Peasants' 
Confederation  at  Brougg. 

Uruguay. — M.  Enrique  J.  Rovira,  vice  consul  of  Uruguay  at  Rome. 

RECAPITULATION  OF  THE  EEPORTS,  DEBATES,  AND  RESOLtrTIONS  OP  THE  THIRD  GENERAL 

ASSEMBLY. 

At  the  opening  meeting  of  the  general  assembly,  on  May  14,  His  Excellency  Hon. 
Giovanni  Raineri,  delegate  of  Italy,  was  elected  president  of  the  assembly,  and  His 
Excellency  Baron  De  Bildt,  delegate  of  Sweden,  and  Mr.  David  J.  Foster,  delegate  of 
the  United  States,  were  chosen  as  vice  presidents. 

In  the  temporary  absence  of  Mr.  Raineri,  Baron  De  Bildt  was  called  to  the  chair. 

The  meeting  then  proceeded  to  constitute,  among  its  members,  four  commissions, 
or  committees,  to  deal  with  the  several  questions  before  the  assembly,  as  follows: 

Commission  I. — Administration  and  finance. 

To  this  commission  were  submitted  the  following  reports  from  the  permanent  com- 
mittee of  the  institute:  Report  by  the  president  of  the  institute.  Marquis  Cappelli, 
on  the  present  situation  of  the  institute  and  its  work  during  the  past  18  months; 
report  by  M.  Zabiello,  delegate  of  Russia,  on  the  financial  situation  and  the  budget 
for  1911  and  1912;  report  by  M.  O.  Bolle,  delegate  of  Belgium,  on  the  desirability  of 
appointing  foreign  correspondents  to  report  to  the  institute  on  scientific  and  technical 
questions  affecting  agriculture  in  their  respective  countries. 

Commission  II. — General  statistics. 

This  commission  had  to  consider  the  following  reports  from  the  permanent  commit- 
tee: Report  of  Dr.  Mueller,  delegate  of  Germany,  on  the  crop-reporting  service  and  the 
measures  to  be  taken  to  extend  and  improve  it;  also  the  report  by  M.  Zaviello,  delegate 
of  Russia,  on  commercial  statistics,  stocks,  exports,  imports,  and  prices. 

Commission  III. — Agricultural  intelligence  and  diseases  of  plants. 

To  this  commission  were  submitted,  on  behalf  of  the  permanent  committee,  a  report 
by  Prof.  Cuboni,  delegate  of  Ethiopia,  on  an  international  understanding  for  fighting 
the  more  important  diseases  of  plants,  such  as  the  rust  of  cereals,  and  on  the>desivability 
of  international  measures  for  the  suppression  oithe  noxious  weed,  dodder;  report  by  M. 
Louis-Dop,  delegate  of  France,  on  agricultural  meteorology;  report  by  M.  De  Miklos, 
delegate  of  Hungary,  on  dry  farming;  report  by  M,  De  Miklos,  on  the  protection  of 
useful  birds. 

Commission  IV. — Agricultural  cooveration,  insurance,  and  credit. 

This  commission  considered  the  report  by  M.  Bolle,  delegate  of  Belgium,  on  in- 
surance against  hail;  also  the  report  by  M.  De  Pozzi,  delegate  of  Austria,  on  the 
statistics  of  cooperation. 

The  president  then  called  on  the  spokesman  of  the  delegation  of  each  country  to 
state  on  which  commission  such  delegation  wished  its  various  members  to  sit. 

Mr.  Foster,  as  chairman  of  the  American  delegation,  made  the  following  announce- 
ment as  to  the  distribution  of  the  members  of  the  American  delegation: 

Commission  I. — Mr.  Foster,  Mr.  Olmsted,  Mr.  Durand. 

Commission  II. — Mr.  Olmsted,  Mr.  Durand,  Mr.  Lubin. 


INTERNATIONAL  INSTITUTE   OF  AGRICULTURE.  11 

Commission  III. — Mr.  Scott,  Mr.  Champlin. 

Commission  IV. — Mr.  Scott,  Mr.  Champlin,  Mr.  Lubin. 

Each  commission  then  proceeded  to  elect  a  president,  vice  president,  and  reporter, 
as  follows: 

Commission  I. — President,  Sir  Thomas  Elliott,  delegate  of  Great  Britain;  vice  presi- 
dent, Hon.  Laurent  De  Roth  de  Pongyelok,  delegate  of  Hungary;  reporter.  Baron 
Hans  De  Knobloch,  delegate  of  Austria. 

Commission  II. — President,  His  Excellency  Dr.  Thiel,  delegate  of  Germany;  vice 
president,  Mr.  Victor  H.  Olmsted,  delegate  of  the  United  States;  reporter,  M.  Lesage, 
delegate  of  France. 

Commission  III. — President,  M.  Dabat,  delegate  of  France;  vice  prasident,  M.  S. 
Aldunate  Bascunan,  delegate  of  Chile;  reporters,  M.  Malet,  delegate  of  Tunis,  and  M. 
De  Miklos,  delegate  of  Hungary. 

Commission  IV. — President,  M.  Chimirri,  delegate  of  Erithrea  and  Italian  Somali- 
land;  vice  president,  M.  Girona  y  Villanova,  delegate  of  Spain;  reporter,  M.  Decharme, 
delegate  of  France. 

The  meeting  then  adjourned. 

On  Sunday  afternoon  the  American  delegation  met  in  the  American  room  at  the 
institute;  Mr.  Foster,  Mr.  Durand,  Mr.  Olmsted,  Mr.  Champlin,  and  Mr.  Lubin  were 
present.  The  meeting  was  called  to  order  at  3.30.  Mr.  Foster  was  elected  chairman 
and  Mr.  Lubin  secretary  of  the  delegation.  A  preliminary  discussion  was  had  on 
the  merits  of  the  various  methods  for  reporting  the  condition  of  growing  crops,  sub- 
mitted to  the  assembly  for  its  choice,  and  a  tentative  line  of  policy  was  adopted  on 
this  head. 

The  meeting  adjoiuTied  at  4  p.  m. 

At  5  p.  m.  a  reception  was  given  in  the  institute  building  to  all  the  members  of  the 
delegations  to  the  general  assembly.  Their  Majesties  the  King  and  Queen  of  Italy 
were  present  and  the  members  of  the  American  delegation  were  presented  to  them 
by  the  permanent  delegate,  Mr.  Lubin. 

On  Monday  morning  the  American  delegation  met  in  the  American  room  of  the 
institute.  The  work  to  come  up  before  the  several  commissions  was  briefly  passed 
in  review.  Mi'.  Lubin  pointed  out  that  an  important  q^uestion  to  come  before  the 
first  commission  would  be  that  of  the  languages  in  which  the  publications  of  the 
institute  should  appear.  According  to  the  by-laws,  French  is  the  official  language 
of  the  institute,  but  Mr.  Lubin  stated  that,  as  delegate  to  the  permanent  committee, 
he  had  insisted  on  the  need  of  English  editions  of  the  publications  and  had  succeeded 
in  obtaining  them.  He  said  furtherthat  objections  were  raised  by  the  delegates  of 
other  nations,  who  demanded  like  privileges,  but  that  the  permanent  committee  had 
decided  to  continue  the  English  editions  for  the  time  being  and  to  submit  the  matter 
to  the  general  assembly  to  decide  on  some  means  by  which  the  adhering  countries, 
interested  in  having  editions  in  their  own  languages,  could  contribute  toward  their 
fair  share  of  the  extra  cost  of  translation  and  printing. 

The  delegation  accordingly  decided  to  advocate  seme  such  plan  with  the  end  of 
obtaining  several  thousand  copies  of  each  edition  for  the  United  States,  to  be  dis- 
tributed by  the  Government. 

The  work  to  come  before  the  second  commission  was  then  reviewed.  It  was  pointed 
out  that  the  one  point  of  prime  importance  for  the  institute,  on  which  there  promised 
to  be  a  decided  divergency  of  opinion  between  the  delegations  from  the  different 
countries,  was  the  selection  of  a  uniferm  method  for  transposing  the  original  data  on  the 
condition  of  the  growing  crops  from  the  different  countries,  so  as  to  enable  the  institute 
to  arrange  comparable  and  uniform  data  in  tables  and  calculate  therefrom  a  summary 
on  a  percentage  basis  in  the  form  of  the  "single  numerical  statement"  for  the  world. 

After  discussion,  the  delegation  decided  that  its  policy  should  be  to  favor  plan  A, 
as  outlined  by  the  permanent  committee,  which  is  a  plan  similar  to  that  now  employed 
by  the  United  States,  and  which  provides  for  expressing  the  condition  of  the  growing 
crops  as  a  percentage  of  a  condition,  which,  if  no  unusual  change  takes  place,  promises 
a  yield  per  unit  of  area  equal  to  the  average  yield  for  the  past  10  years. 

The  general  assembly  convened  at  12  o  cleck  Monday  to  install  the  president-elect, 
His  ExLcellency  Hon.  Giovanni  Raineii. 

President  Raineri,  after  welcoming  the  delegates  from  the  adhering  governments, 
congratulated  the  institute  on  the  work  it  had  accomplished  since  the  last  general 
assembly,  and  said  he  was  happy  to  inform  the  assembly  that  the  International  Agri- 
cultural Congress,  at  its  meeting  at  Madrid,  from  which  he  had  just  returned,  had 
decided  to  forward  its  resolutions  to  the  International  Institute  of  Agricultuife,  so  that 
the  permanent  committee  may  study  them  with  a  view  to  taking  steps  with  the  adher- 
ing governments  for  having  such  of  them  as  came  within  its  province  carried  uito 
effect.  He  felt  sure  the  assembly  would  appreciate  this  mark  of  confidence  on  the 
part  of  the  agricultural  world. 


12 


INTERNATIONAL  INSTITUTE   OF   AGRICULTURE. 


The  meeting  then  adjourned  to  give  time  for  the  four  commissions  to  consider  and 
report  on  the  various  items  of  the  program  assigned  to  them. 

On  Friday,  May  19,  and  Saturday,  May  20,  meetings  of  the  general  assembly  were 
held,  at  which  the  reports  and  recommendations  of  the  four  commissions  were  received 
and  considered  and  various  resolutions  adoi)ted,  in  general  following  closely  the  recom- 
mendations of  the  commission.  The  business  thus  transasted  by  the  commissions 
and  the  general  assembly  was  divided  under  the  following  heads: 

1.  Review  of  the  past  work  of  the  institute;  administrative  matters. 

2.  Status  and  development  of  the  agricultural,  statistical,  and  crop-reporting  work 
of  the  institute. 

3.  The  future  work  of  the  institute  with  regard  to  the  statistics  of  visible  and  invis- 
ible stocks,  exports,  imports,  and  prices. 

4.  Diseases  of  plants. 

5.  Protection  Si  birds. 

6.  Dry  farming. 

7.  Agricultural  meteorology. 

8.  Insxirance  against  damage  by  hail. 

9.  Statistics  of  agricultural  cooperation. 

10.  Finance. 

11.  Miscellaneouo. 

It  will  be  convenient  to  deal  with  these  matters  under  their  separate  heads: 

1.  Review  op  the  Past  Work  of  the  Institute. 

A  comprehensive  report  on  the  work  accomplished  by  the  institute  during  the  18 
months  which  have  elapsed  since  the  meeting  of  the  last  general  assembly  was  sub- 
mitted on  behalf  of  the  permanent  committee  by  the  president  of  the  institute. 
Marquis  Cappelli.  After  describing  the  progress  made  with  the  different  branches 
of  work,  the  president  recommended  some  minor  modifications  in  the  by-laws  of  the 
institute  which  experience  showed  were  necessary  for  its  successful  development. 
These  were  subsequently  adopted  by  the  assembly  on  the  recommendation  of  the 
first  commission,  and  were  as  follows: 

la,    BY-LAWS   OP  THE   INSTITUTE. 

"The  following  is  the  text  of  articles  15  and  19  of  the  by-laws  of  the  institute,  as 
adopted  by  the  general  assembly: 

"Art.  15.  The  president  of  the  permanent  committee  is  the  president  of  the  insti- 
tute. He,  and  in  his  absence  the  vice  president,  represents  the  institute  and  fulfills  all 
the  functions  and  accomplishes  all  the  acts  consequent  on  its  corporate  capacity. 
He  signs  orders  for  payment  and  official  documents  addressed  to  the  governmento  and 
the  delegates. 

"He  has  the  general  supervision  of  all  the  work  of  the  institute  and  controls  the 
execution  of  the  decisions  taken  by  the  permanent  committee. 

"Art.  16.  The  general  administration  of  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture 
comprises  the  following  services: 

"(1)  Bureau  of  the  secretary  general. 

"(2)  Bureau  of  general  statistics. 

"(3)  Bureau  of  agricultural  intelligence  and  diseases  of  plants. 

"(4)  Bureau  of  economic  and  social  institutions. 

"Art.  18  (A).  The  bureau  of  general  statistics  attends  to  the  following  matters: 

"Agricultural  statistics;  collestion,  centralization,  and  publication  of  agricultural 
information  and  statistics  on  animal  and  vegetable  production,  and  the  trade,  distri- 
bution, and  consumption  of  agricultural  produce;  ruling  prices  and  stocks  of  agri-. 
cultural  produce;  general  and  special  market  price  lists  for  agricultural  produce; 
markets,  fairs,  etc.;  interpretation  and  comparison  of  diverse  statistics;  centralization 
of  fiscal  and  customhouse  statistics  on  agricultural  products;  imports,  exports;  daily, 
weekly,  monthly  agricultural  statistics;  general  statistics;  special,  periodical,  and  non- 
periodical  statistics;  statistical  commissions  in  ull  countries,  etc. 

"(B)  The  bureau  of  agricultural  intelligence  and  diseases  of  plants  attends  to  the 
following  matters: 

"1.  Agricultural  intelligence:  Collection,  centralization,  and  publication  of  prac- 
tical information  on  animal  and  vegetable  production;  inquiries  and  studies  on  animal 
and  vegetable  products;  centralization  and  summarizing  of  diverse  periodical  informa- 
tion on  tlie  agricultural  situation  in  all  countnes. 

"2.  Diseases  of  plants:  Extent  and  intensity  of  diseases;  remedies;  injurious 
cryptogams;  entomology. 


INTERNATIONAL  INSTITUTE   OF   AGRICULTURE.  13 

"Art.  19.  The  bureau  of  economic  and  social  institutions  attends  to  the  following 
matters : 

"Wages  of  rural  labor;  statistics  and  information  concerning  the  organization  of 
agricultural  cooperation,  insurance,  and  credit." 

Looking  into  the  future  the  president's  report  pointed  out  that  it  is  essential  for  the 
institute's  publications  to  appear  in  the  principal  languages  in  order  that  the  informa- 
tion may  obtain  world-wide  circulation.  This  opinion  was  fully  shared  by  the  first 
commission,  which  had  the  president's  report  under  consideration.  The  views 
expressed  by  the  American  delegation,  that  the  United  States  Government  should 
pay  its  fair  share  of  the  cost  of  translation  and  printing  of  an  English  edition  for  circula- 
tion in  the  United  States,  met  with  the  warm  approval  of  that  commission  and  of  the 
assembly.  Other  countries,  notably  Germany  and  Austria,  for  a  German  edition, 
and  Brazil  for  a  Portuguese  edition,  expressed  their  intention  of  proposing  similar 
plans  to  their  Governments.  It  was  informally  agreed  by  the  general  assembly  that 
for  the  remainder  of  this  year  the  institute  would  continue  to  publish  the  English 
edition  of  the  bulletins,  as  heretofore,  so  as  to  give  time  for  arrangements  to  be  made 
with  the  Governments  along  the  lines  proposed. 

The  date  for  the  next  meeting  of  the  general  assembly  was  fixed  for  the  spring  of 
1913. 

2.  Agricttltural  Statistics  and  Crop  Reporting. 

This  was  perhaps  the  most  important  subject  before  the  assembly.  The  discussions 
in  the  second  commission  and  in  the  assembly  were  based  on  the  report  submitted  on 
behalf  of  the  permanent  committee  by  Dr.  Mueller,  permanent  delegate  of  Germany. 

The  report  of  Dr.  Mueller  stated  that  as  a  result  of  the  decisions  taken  by  the  general 
assembly  in  December,  1909,  the  Governments  of  Brazil,  China,  Costa  Rica,  Ecuador, 
Eritrea  and  Italian  Somaliland,  Greece,  and  Mexico  have  informed  the  institute 
that  they  are  taking  steps  to  organize  an  agricultural  statistical  service  which  will  be 
able  to  supply  the  information  required  for  the  institute's  service.  Twelve  countries — 
Argentina,  Belgium,  Chile,  Denmark,  Tunis,  Australia,  New  Zealand,  Japan,  Hun- 
gary, Norway,  Roumania,  and  Switzerland — which  prior  to  1910  never  published 
numerical  reports  on  the  condition  of  their  growing  crops,  adopted  in  1910  the  sys- 
tem proposed  by  the  institute  and  send  in  their  reports  regularly.  Five  countries — 
Bulgaria,  the  United  States,  Luxemburg,  Holland,  and  Sweden — while  continuing 
to  report  their  crop  conditions  in  accordance  with  the  systems  they  were  already  using, 
transpose  their  original  data  in  accordance  with  the  plan  adopted  by  the  institute. 
Germany,  Austria,  Belgium,  Canada,  the  Ottoman  Empire,  and  Italy  have  announced 
that  they  are  making  alterations  in  their  statistical  services  so  as  to  comply  with  the 
requirements  of  the  institute. 

The  report  of  Dr.  Mueller  pointed  out  that  if  the  official  control  which  the  insti- 
tute's crop-reporting  information  is  to  exercise  over  the  reports  circulated  by  irrespon- 
sible private  agencies  is  to  be  effective,  the  Governments  must  still  fua-ther  improve 
their  national  crop-reporting  services,  so  as  to  supply  the  institute  with  regular,  rapid, 
and  reliable  reports  on  the  condition  of  growing  crops  and  harvest  yields  in  each  of  the 
adhering  countries. 

Reference  was  then  made  in  the  report  to  differences  of  opinion  which  have  arisen 
as  to  the  right  interpretation  of  the  decisions  of  the  last  general  assembly  on  the 
method  of  reporting  on  the  condition  of  growing  crops.  The  French  Government 
objected  to  having  its  original  reports  on  crop  conditions  transposed  into  a  probable 
percentage  of  yield.  It  claimed  that  its  reports  are  purely  descriptive  of  the  condi- 
tion of  the  crops  at  the  time  of  report  and  have  no  reference  whatsoever  to  the  probable 
yield.  In  view  of  these  difficulties  the  report  expressed  the  opinion  that  an  interna- 
tional crop-reporting  system  can  only  be  perfected  when  crop  conditions  and  yields 
are  reported  by  the  several  countries  on  a  uniform  plan.  As  a  step  toward  attaining 
this  basic  uniformity,  it  proposed  that  a  study  of  the  question  be  made  by  the  per- 
manent committee.  This  study  should  be  submitted  by  the  Governments  to  their 
statistical  experts  and  returned  with  comments  to  form  the  subject  of  proposals  to 
the  next  general  assembly.  Pending  the  adoption  of  such  uniform  methods,  the  report 
called  on  the  assembly  to  select  for  current  use  one  of  three  systems,  designated  as 
A,  B,  and  C,  for  transposing  the  original  reports  on  crop  conditions  as  forwarded  by 
the  Governments. 

The  report  proposed  that  the  regular  statistical-information  service  of  the  institute 
be  extended  to  vineyards,  silk,  sugar,  tobacco,  and  flax,  for  which  staples  a  large 
number  of  the  adhering  Governments  supj)ly  statistical  data  in  a  measure  to  permit  of 
starting  such  a  service.  Other  staples  will  be  included  in  the  service  gradually  as 
the  Governments  place  themselves  m  a  position  to  supply  the  necessa,ry  information. 

Finally,  the  report  placed  before  the  assembly  a  proposal  for  the  publication  by  the 
institute  of  an  international  yearbook  of  comparative  agricultural  statistics. 


14  INTERNATIONAL   INSTITUTE   OF  AGRICULTUEE. 

The  debates  in  the  second  commission,  with  respect  to  the  recommendations  of  the 
permanent  committee,  as  presented  in  the  report  of  Dr.  Mueller,  bore  chiefly  upon  the 
proper  method  for  reporting  crop  conditions.  The  three  alternatives  proposed  by  the 
permanent  committee,  as  a  tentative  basis  for  the  current  crop  reports  of  the  institute, 
were  as  follows: 

A.  The  original  reports  shall  be  transformed  into  percentages  of  a  condition,  which, 
provided  no  extraordinary  phenomenon  takes  place  thereafter,  promises  for  each  unit 
of  area  a  yield  equal  to  the  average  yield  of  the  last  10  years. 

B.  The  original  returns  shall  be  transformed  into  "notes  of  classification."  The 
"notes  of  classification"  employed  for  this  transformation  shall  be  as  follows:  150  to 
indicate  an  excellent  crop  condition,  125  to  indicate  a  good  crop  condition,  100  to 
indicate  an  average  crop  condition,  75  to  indicate  a  poor  crop  condition,  50  to  indi- 
cate a  very  bad  crop  condition. 

C.  The  transformation  shall  be  effected  by  comparing  the  condition  of  the  crop  at 
a  given  date  with  the  average  of  the  conditions  of  the  same  crop  at  the  same  date  for 
the  10  preceding  years. 

Inasmuch  as  plans  A  and  C  are  quite  similar,  the  principal  point  of  discussion  in 
the  commission  was  as  between  these  plans  on  the  one  hand  and  plan  B  on  the  other. 
It  was  urged  as  an  objection  to  plan  A  that  it  involved  an  attempt  to  forecast  the  crop 
one  or  more  months  in  advance  of  harvest,  and  that  it  was  impossible  to  make  such 
a  forecast  with  accuracy  because  of  possible  changes  which  might  arise  thereafter. 
It  was  argued  that  if,  for  example,  in  May  the  Government  announced  officially  that 
the  condition  of  a  given  crop  promised  a  yield  equal,  say,  to  the  average,  or  100  per 
cent,  and  if  afterwards  untoward  circumstances  reduced  the  actual  yield  to  much  less 
than  the  average,  the  public  would  criticize  the  Government  and  injury  would  be 
done  in  the  markets  through  reliance  upon  this  incorrect  forecast. 

The  members  of  the  American  delegation  took  an  active  part  in  the  discussion  in 
defense  of  plan  A  as  against  plan  B,  and  the  delegates  of  various  other  countries 
argued  strongly  in  the  same  direction.  •  It  was  pointed  out  that  any  form  of  expres- 
sion concerning  the  condition  of  the  crops  at  a  given  date  during  their  growth  was 
bound  to  be  considered  by  the  public  in  its  bearing  upon  the  probable  harvest; 
that  in  fact  there  would  be  no  use  whatever  in  collecting  reports  regarding  crop  con- 
ditions during  their  growth  were  it  not  for  the  significance  of  those  conditions  in 
relation  to  the  probable  harvest;  that  everyone  knew  that  unforeseen  events  might 
occur  and  that  the  report  of  the  condition  of  the  crops  on  a  given  date  was  always 
understood  to  be  subject  to  that  possibility,  and  that  it  served  only  to  give  informa- 
tion as  to  what  the  crop  would  probably  be  if  no  such  unusual  event  should  occur. 

Finally  it  was  urged  that  the  only  system  by  which  the  reports  of  all  countries 
could  be  brought  together  and  averaged  was  a  system  of  definite  percentages  based 
upon  an  average  crop  or  some  other  standard,  such  as  a  normal  or  excellent  crop;  that 
the  "notes  of  classification"  proposed  under  plan  B  were  merely  equivalent  to  words 
describing  the  condition  of  the  crop ;  that  such  words  would  necessarily  have  different 
meanings  in  different  countries,  "excellent,"  for  example,  in  one  country  being  a 
much  higher  percentage  above  average  than  in  another  country,  so  that  an  average 
based  on  them  would  have  no  definite  significance;  and  that,  moreover,  different 
persons  would  interpret  these  "notes  of  classification"  in  different  ways,  so  that  specu- 
lators would  thus  have  free  scope  for  misleading  the  public  should  they  so  desire. 

After  prolonged  discussion  a  vote  was  taken  in  the  second  commission,  in  which 
14  countries  were  in  favor  of  the  adoption  of  plan  A  and  3  in  favor  of  plan  B.  The 
reporter  for  the  commission,  M.  Lesage,  delegate  of  France,  summarized  the  debates 
in  a  report  to  the  general  assembly  and  set  forth  the  conclusions  of  the  second  com- 
mission on  this  and  other  less  important  points.  The  general  assembly,  with  some 
little  modification,  adopted  with  practical  unanimity  the  resolutions  recommended 
by  the  commission.    They  are  in  full  as  follows: 

REGULAR   INFORMATION   SERVICE   FOR   THE   SEVEN   PRODUCTS — WHEAT,    RYE,    BARLEY, 
OATS,    CORN,    RICE,    AND   COTTON. 

1.  The  general  assembly  is  of  opinion  that  it  is  absolutely  essential,  for  national 
and  international  interests,  that  each  of  the  countries  belonging  to  the  institute 
possess  an  agricultiu^  statistical  service.  In  those  countries  in  which  such  a  serv- 
ice does  not  yet  exist,  or  where  it  is  not  so  organized  as  to  correspond  to  the  require- 
ments of  an  international  crop-reporting  service,  the  requisite  organization  should 
be  taken  in  hand  as  rapidly  as  possible. 

The  general  assembly  instructs  the  permanent  committee  to  take  the  requisite  steps 
with  the  adhering  Governments  for  the  establishment  or  reorganization  of  an  agricul- 
tural statistical  service  in  their  countries,  so  aa  to  give  complete  satisfaction  to  the 
wishes  expressed  on  this  head  by  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture. 


INTERNATIONAL  INSTITUTE   OF   AGRICULTURE.  15 

2.  The  general  sesembly  resolves  that  the  institute's  crop-reporting  service  on  the 
production  of  whesit,  rye,  barley,  oats,  corn,  rice,  and  cotton  shall  continue. 

3.  The  general  assembly  confirms  its  decision  of  1909,  which  declared  that  the 
agricultural  statistical  services  of  the  adhering  countries  ought  to  supply,  as  a  minimum 
of  data  for  a  regulinr  international  crop-reporting  service,  the  following: 

(a)  Periodical  statement  of  the  total  area  and  its  distribution  amongst  the  principal 
categories  of  cultivation. 

(b)  Annual  8tat<3ment  of  areas  sown  and  planted  to  the  above-mentioned  staples. 

(c)  Statements  of  areas  sown  and  of  the  conditions  under  which  sowing  has  taken 
place  at  the  different  periods  of  the  year  (rain,  drought,  frost,  etc.). 

(d)  Regular  monthly  reports  on  condition  of  the  growing  crops  and  communication 
of  these  reports  at  the  same  date  from  all  the  adhering  countries.  At  the  same  time 
with  these  should  be  sent  reports  on  meteorological  phenomena  and  events,  such  as 
diseases  of  plants,  invasions  of  insect  pesta,  etc.,  affecting  the  condition  of  the  growing 
crops. 

(e)  Approximate  estimate  of  probable  harvest  yield,  to  be  made  in  relative  or 
actual  figtu-es  or  expressed  as  a  percentage  of  an  average  yield,  to  be  made  about  one 
month  before  the  harvest  is  well  under  way,  and  at  the  same  time  a  report  on  the 
condition  of  the  growing  crops  for  the  same  month. 

(/)  Preliminary  statement  of  actual  harvest  yield  to  be  made  as  soon  as  possible. 
(g)  Final  statement  of  harvest  yield  to  be  made  as  soon  as  possible  after  the  har- 
vest is  completed,  and,  when  necessary,  for  the  different  sections  of  the  country. 

4.  As  difficulties  have  arisen  in_  interpreting  the  text  of  No.  3,  paragraph  2,  of  the 
decisions  of  the  general  assembly  in  1909,  and  in  the  application  of  a  uniform  system 
for  transposing  the  reports  on  condition  of  growing  crops,  the  general  assembly  decides 
to  replace  No.  3,  paragraph  2,  by  the  following: 

The  necessary  crop-reporting  data  which  are  to  be  regularly  transmitted  to  the 
institute  are: 

(a)  Concerning  reports  on  areas. — The  areas  sown  during  the  winter  and  those  sown 
during  the  spring  to  be  reported  in  actual  figures  and  as  a  percentage  of  the  area  sown 
the  previous  year.  The  areas  to  be  harvested  shall  be  reported  in  actual  figures. 
Final  statement  of  areas  which  have  been  harvested. 

(6)  Concerning  the  reports  on  the  condition  of  the  growing  crops. — I.  The  original  data 
to  be  forwarded  to  the  institute  in  the  form  in  which  they  are  reported  in  each 
country. 

The  institute  will  always  publish  such  original  data  in  a  special  table.  When, 
however,  these  data  are  given  in  figures  calculated  separately  for  the  several  regions 
or  provinces  of  a  country,  the  institute  will  come  to  an  understanding  with  the  Gov- 
ernment of  that  country  with  a  view  to  expressing  the  condition  of  the  growing  crops 
of  the  entire  country  as  a  single  numerical  statement. 

II.  UntU  such  time  as  the  adhering  countries  shall  have  adopted  a  uniform  system 
for  reporting  on  the  condition  of  growing  crops,  the  Governments  which  use  figures 
to  express  such  conditions  are  requested  to  transmit  to  the  institute,  along  with  the 
original  data,  the  results  of  a  transposition  of  such  data  as  indicated  under  No.  7. 

(c)  Concerning  the  approximate  estimate  of  probable  yield.^ — -A  figure  is  to  be  trans- 
mitted to  the  institute,  along  with  the  report  on  the  condition  of  the  growing  crops 
(original  data  and  transposed),  stating  either  the  probable  yield  per  hectare,  or  the 
probable  total  yield  of  a  given  crop,  or  the  probable  yield  expressed  as  a  percentage 
of  the  average  yield  for  the  past  10  years. 

{d)  Concerning  the  preliminary  and  final  statement  of  acttial  harvest  yields. — A  figure 
is  to  be  transmitted  to  the  institute  representing  either  the  average  yield  obtained 
per  hectare,  or  the  total  actual  yield  of  a  given  crop. 

5.  The  assembly  expresses  the  wish  that  the  reports  on  the  condition  of  the  crops 
be  made  in  each  country  so  as  to  reach  the  institute  before  the  15th  of  the  month,  and 
be  published  at  latest  on  the  20th  of  the  same  month. 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  the  data  on  areas  sown  and  the  preliminary  and 
final  statements  of  actual  harvest  yields  be  communicated  to  the  institute  as  soon  as 
possible  after  they  have  been  ascertained. 

The  institute  should  publish,  as  far  as  possible,  week  by  week  all  data  supplied  by 
the  Governments  which  they  may  send  in  before  the  above-mentioned  dates. 

6.  The  general  assembly  considers  that  an  international  crop-reporting  service  can 
only  have  commercial  value  when  the  national  systems  of  reporting  on  the  area, 
condition,  development,  and  yields  of  the  crops  are  based  on  uniform  principles 
It  therefore  calls  on  the  permanent  committee  to  submit  to  the  Governments  a  state- 

^Tbat  to  be  made  one  month  before  harvest. 


16  INTEBNATIONAIi  INSTITUTE   OF  AGRICULTURE. 

ment  of  tlie  reasons  for  sucli  uniformity  and  a  scheme  of  organization  to  meet  the  ends 
in  view. 

The  general  assembly  requests  the  adhering  Governments  to  submit  this  statement 
to  their  experts,  whose  comments  should  be  communicated  to  the  institute  for  insertion 
in  a  report.  This  report  will  form  the  basis  for  a  discussion  on  the  question  of  "the 
unification  of  the  national  systems  of  reporting  on  the  areas,  condition,  development, 
and  yield  of  the  crops."  Said  subject  to  be  placed  on  the  program  of  the  next  general 
assembly. 

The  general  assembly  instructs  the  permanent  committee  to  request  the  Interna- 
tional Statistical  Institute  to  study  this  question  at  its  next  session  and  to  communi- 
cate to  the  institute  the  results  of  its  deliberations. 

7.  In  the  meantime,  and  after  receiving  once  for  all  the  preliminary  authorization 
of  the  respective  Governments,  the  institute  will  transpose  the  original  data  on  crop 
conditions  during  the  three  months  preceding  the  harvest  into  a  percentage  of  a  con- 
dition which,  if  no  unusual  phenomena  occur,  promises  for  each  unit  of  area  a  yield 
equal  to  the  average  yield  for  the  past  10  years. 

For  those  countries  which  do  not  yet  possess  a  10  years'  average,  the  basis  for  the 
calculation  will  be  the  average  for  as  many  years  as  are  covered  by  the  statistics 
existing  in  that  country  for  the  crop  under  consideration. 

REGULAR   INFORMATION   SERVICE   FOR   OTHER   STAPLES. 

8.  The  general  assembly,  after  examining  the  study  made  by  the  statistical  bureau 
of  the  institute  on  the  subject  of  silk  (mulberries,  cocoons,  silk) ;  sugar  (sugar  beets  and 
sugar  cane,  sugar);  vineyards  (grapes,  must,  wine,  spirits  of  wine);  tobacco;  olives  and 
olive  oil;  hay;  flax  (linseed  and  linseed  oil);  and  almonds,  is  of  opinion  that  a  monthly 
information  service  can  only  be  extended  at  present  to  the  following  staples:  Vine- 
yards (grapes,  must,  wine);  silk  (mulberries,  cocoons,  silk);  tobacco;  sugar  (sugar  beets 
and  sugar  cane,  sugar);  flax  (textile  and  seed);  coffee. 

As  in  most  countries  the  crop-reporting  service  is  at  the  present  time  inadequately 
organized  and  developed,  even  for  the  above-mentioned  staples,  the  genei-al  assembly 
calls  on  the  Governments  to  perfect  the  system  for  getting  out  such  statistics  so  that 
reports  on  the  condition  of  the  growing  crops,  estimates  of  probable  yield,  preliminary 
and  final  statements  of  actual  yield,  may  be  made  to  the  institute  in  due  form  and 
regularly  at  stated  periods. 

With  reference  to  the  statistics  on  vineyards  and  wine,  the  general  assembly  is  of 
opinion  that  such  statistics  should  include  as  a  minimum — 

(o.)  An  annual  report,  or  a  report  made  at  least  once  every  5  years,  on  the  area  planted 
to  vines; 

(5)  A  report  on  the  condition  of  the  vines  in  the  first  period  of  their  vegetation  (when 
flowering  is  over); 

(c)  A  report  on  the  condition  of  vines  about  15  days  before  the  vintage; 

(d)  An  estimate  of  yield  (must)  as  soon  as  possible  after  the  vintage; 

(e)  Final  statement  of  yield  (wine)  as  soon  as  possible. 

Governments  which  report  on  the  condition  of  vineyards  in  their  monthly  reports 
on  crop  conditions  will  not  be  required  to  forward  to  the  institute  the  special  report 
provided  for  under  paragraphs  (6)  and  (c). 

9.  The  general  assembly  instructs  the  permanent  committee  to  submit  to  the 
Governments  the  result  of  the  studies  undertaken  by  the  statistical  bureau  of  the 
institute  on  other  staples.  It  proposes  to  extend  the  information  service  to  these 
staples  as  soon  as  the  official  statistical  data  collected  by  the  adhering  countries  allow. 

As  a  temporary  measure  the  institute  bulletin  will  print  under  a  special  heading 
statistical  information  which  the  adhering  Governments  may  forward  on  any  staple 
not  yet  regularly  dealt  with  by  the  institute's  crop-reporting  service. 

THE   INVENTORY  AND   AGRICULTURAL  STATISTICAL   YEARBOOK. 

10.  The  general  assembly,  after  examining  the  work  undertaken  by  the  bureau  of 
statistics  in  connection  with  the  world's  statistical  inventory  of  agricultural  produc- 
tion, resolves: 

(1)  That  the  inventory  be  kept  up  to  date  by  the  statistical  bureau  of  the  institute 
for  its  own  use. 

(2)  That  the  yearbook  of  compan.tive  international  agricultural  statistics  be  pre- 
pared in  conformity  with  the  program  outlined  by  the  reporter  and  be  published 
regularly  in  the  last  quarter  of  each  year.  This  yearbook  shall  include,  as  far  aa 
possible,  the  original  data  contained  in  the  returns  foi  the  preWous  year. 


INTEEJSTATIONAI,  INSTITUTE   OF  AGBICUL.TUEB.  17 

3.  Statistics  of  Stocks,  Exports  and  Imports,  and  Prices. 

The  views  and  recommendations  of  the  permanent  committee  on  the  proposed 
future  work  of  the  institute  were  submitted  to  the  assembly  in  a  report  by  M.  G. 
Zabiello,  permanent  delegate  of  Russia,  accompanied  by  a  volume  of  supplementary 
studies  prepared  by  the  statistical  bureau  of  the  institute. 

Attention  was  called  in  this  report  to  the  importance  of  official  inquiries  into  the 
amount  of  invisible  stocks,  i.  e.,  stocks  held  over  from  the  previous  harvest  still  in 
farmers'  hands.  Such  inquiries  have  been  made  for  some  years  past  by  the  Govern- 
ments of  the  United  States  and  Canada;  and  last  year  the  semiofficial  German  Council 
of  Agriculture  (Landwirtschafterst)  made  a  report  on  invisible  stocks  for  the  German 
Empire.  The  report  urged  the  need  of  such  inquiries  in  all  the  large  producing 
countries,  as  stocks  in  farmers'  hands  are  an  important  factor  in  price  formation.  Tho 
importance  of  good  statistics  on  visible  stocks  was  also  dealt  with.  The  resolutions  on 
this  subject  suggested  in  the  report  were  approved  by  the  second  commission  and  by 
the  general  assembly  (see  p.  17). 

On  the  subject  of  statistics  of  exports  and  imports,  M.  Zabiello's  report  stated,  in 
brief: 

The  general  assembly  in  1909  instructed  the  permanent  committee  to  have  a  thorough 
study  made  of  the  statistics  of  exports  and  imports.  The  object  was  to  ascertain  the 
reasons  for  the  vast  discrepancies  which  exist  between  the  figures  for  exports  to  certain 
countries,  as  given  by  the  exporting  countries,  and  those  registered  as  entered  by  the 
importing  countries.  These  discrepancies  are  due  mainly  to  the  deflection  of  cargoes 
during  transit,  and  to  the  registration  of  imports  and  exports  under  different  classifica- 
tions in  the  different  customs  administrations.  The  desirability  of  improving  such 
statistics  has  formed  the  subject  of  resolutions  passed  by  statistical  and  other  con- 
gresses for  years  past,  bxit  so  far  no  effective  step  has  ever  been  taken  in  this  direction. 
The  report  stated  that  the  studies  on  this  subject  which  the  institute  has  undertaken 
are  not  yet  completed,  and  asked  the  authorization  of  the  assembly  to  have  them 
carried  on  and  completed  for  wheat  only. 

The  discussion  in  the  second  commission  on  the  subject  of  exports  and  imports 
centered  mainly  round  a  proposal  brought  in  by  M.  Louis  Dop,  delegate  of  France, 
and  supported  m  an  amended  form  by  M.  Luccioli,  delegate  of  Italy,  as  a  means  of 
obtaining  correct  statistics  of  the  point  of  origin  and  of  destination  of  agricultural  prod- 
ucts in  international  trade.  The  idea  underlying  the  French  delegate's  proposal  is  to 
do  for  shipments  of  merchandise  what  is  done  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  correct 
statistics  of  passenger  traffic  on  international  railways,  by  means  of  railway  tickets, 
which  are  delivered  up  by  the  passenger  at  his  final  destination  and  retiurned  by  the 
authorities  there  to  the  administration  of  the  railway  whence  the  passenger  started. 
A  waybill  could  be  issued  by  the  administration  of  the  customhouse  whence  the  goods 
started  and  delivered  to  the  customhouse  where  the  goods  are  discharged,  which 
should  then  return  to  the  point  of  origin. 

Fears  were  expressed  in  the  discussion  that  such  a  system  might  be  impracticable, 
as  it  might  impose  extra  and  undesirable  formalities  on  commerce,  and  as  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  determine  the  final  destination  of  a  cargo.  Some  speakers  expressed 
the  opinion  that  it  was  not  of  any  interest  to  the  producer  to  know  the  final  destina- 
tion of  his  produce.  This  was  controverted;  the  American  delegates,  amongst  others, 
pointed  out  that  it  would  be  of  considerable  interest  to  the  United  States  to  be  able  to 
determine  the  ultimate  destination  of  its  agricultural  exports.  The  unanimous  sense 
of  the  commission  was  that  the  proposal  made  by  the  delegate  of  France  was  deserving 
of  consideration  and  study. 

The  proposal  in  the  report  submitted  by  M.  Zabiello  that  the  institute  complete 
its  crop-statistics  service  by  publishing,  in  1912,  a  weekly  price  bulletin,  giving  the 
current  price  quotations  for  the  principal  world  market  centers,  met  with  the  unani- 
mous approval  of  the  second  commission  and  the  general  assembly.  In  accordance 
with  the  amendment  proposed  by  M.  Louis  Dop,  delegate  of  France,  the  "single 
numerical  statement"  for  the  world's  supply  will  be  placed  alongside  of  these  price 
quotations. 

The  resolutions  regarding  statistics  of  stocks,  international  trade,  and  prices,  arrived 
at  by  the  assembly,  after  considering  the  report  of  the  second  commission,  were  as 
follows: 

"1.  As  it  is  necessary  that  the  institute  complete  the  studies  it  has  begun  before 
starting  a  regular  public  information  service  on  trade  statistics,  this  service  will  only 
be  begun  from  July  1,  1912.  But  for  experimental  purposes  the  institute  shall  begin 
a  monthly  information  service  on  trade  statistics  in  the  form  of  a  bulletin,  not  in- 
tended for  the  public,  which  shall  be  reserved  for  the  use  of  the  adhering  Govern- 
ments and  the  members  of  the  permanent  committee  and  subjected  to  their  criticism 

H.  Doc.  303,  62-2 2 


18  INTERNATIOJSTAIi  INSTITUTE  OF  AGRICULTUEE. 

diiring  this  preparatory  stage.  Thia  experimental  service  shall  begin  at  a  date  to  be 
fixed  later  on  by  the  permanent  committee.  It  will  comprise  statistical  data  on 
visible  stocks,  imports,  and  exports,  and  the  weekly  price  quotations  on  the  prin- 
cipal market  centers  as  supplied  by  the  bourses.  The  data  on  stocks  will  only  be 
given  for  wheat,  rye,  barley,  oats,  and  com;  those  on  exports,  imports,  and  prices 
for  these  five  staples  and  for  rice  and  cotton. 

"2.  The  permanent  committee  is  instructed  to  complete  the  detailed  study  of 
statistics  on  visible  stocks,  floating  cargoes,  and  exports  and  imports,  so  as  to  submit 
to  the  next  general  assembly  proposals  for  the  improvement  and  unification  of  sta- 
tistical information  on  these  subjects.  These  studies  shall  be  made  for  wheat  only, 
and  they  should  examine  whether  it  be  desirable  and  possible  to  adopt  a  method 
of  controlling  the  returns  of  exports  and  imports  and  floating  cargoes  by  accompanying 
each  cargo  by  a  waybill  issued  by  the  customhouse  from  which  the  goods  start  and 
withdrawn  by  the  fiist  customhouse  at  which  the  goods  are  delivered. 

''The  permanent  committee  shall  make  a  special  study  of  the  organization  of  the 
principal  international  markets  and  their  commercial  usages. 

"3.  The  general  assembly  recommends  the  Governments  adhering  to  the  institute 
to  perfect  their  services  of  information  on  visible  stocks  and  to  consider  the  proposal 
of  starting  a  monthly  service  on  the  subject  if  they  do  not  yet  possess  one.  Thia 
service  should  at  least  deal  with  the  five  following  staples:  Wheat,  rye,  barley,  oats, 
and  corn. 

"4.  The  assembly  further  invites  the  Govermnenta  to  study  the  possibility  of  mak- 
ing a  report  on  invisible  stocks,  in  farmers'  hands,  for  the  five  staples  above  mentioned 
once  a  year,  preferably  at  the  same  date  as  the  first  numerical  estimate  of  the  probable 
yield  of  the  growing  crops,  namely,  one  month  before  harvest.  The  Governments  are 
requested  to  send  the  result  of  these  inquiries  to  the  institute,  which  wiU  only  publish 
same  after  receiving  express  authorization  from  the  Governments. 

"5.  The  permanent  committee  is  instructed  to  draw  up  a  special  report  on  the 
proposal  of  reducing  to  uniform  principles  customhouse  statistics  as  far  as  the  definition 
of  'special  trade"  and  goods  in  transit  is  concerned;  also  on  the  classification  of 
imports  according  to  their  country  of  origin,  and  exports  according  to  the  country  of 
destination.  This  report  will  be  presented  to  the  adhering  Governments  to  be  sub- 
mitted by  them  to  experts  on  this  subject  whose  observations  will  be  communicated 
to  the  institute  and  form  the  basis  of  a  report  on  this  question  to  be  brought  before  the 
next  general  assembly. " 

4.  Diseases  of  Plants. 

The  proposals  on  this  head,  submitted  by  the  permanent  committee  to  the  assembly 
in  a  report  by  Prof.  Cuboni,  delegate  of  Ethiopia,  were  referred  to  the  third  commis- 
sion. The  general  assembly  in  1909  instructed  the  permanent  committee  to  prepai-e, 
on  the  basis  of  information  supplied  by  the  adhering  Governments,  a  report  on  the 
present  organization  of  service  on  plant  diseases  in  the  several  countries.  This  report 
has  been  prepared  by  the  institute's  section  on  diseases  of  plants  and  contains  the 
information  for  the  following  22  countries:  Germany,  Belgium,  Bulgaria,  Chile,  Den- 
mark, Spain,  France,  Tunis,  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  Australia,  Canada,  British 
India,  Mauritius,  Italy,  Luxemburg,  Mexico,  Holland,  E-oumania,  Russia,  Sweden, 
Switzerland,  and  Uruguay.  The  United  States  have  announced  that  they  are  for- 
w;arding  a  complete  report  on  the  service  as  organized  in  America.  Reports  also  came 
in  from  Brazil,  Hungary,  Nigeria,  and  New  Zealand,  and  a  supplementary  report  from 
the  Russian  Government  on  the  special  entomological  service  organized  m  that  coun- 
try. This  material,  however,  came  to  hand  too  late  to  be  included  in  the  published 
volume,  which  was  therefore  circulated  in  the  form  of  proofs,  to  be  completed  by  the 
institute  as  the  material  is  received.  China,  Costa  Rica,  Egypt,  Erithrea,  and  Peru 
informed  the  institute  that  such  a  service  is  now  under  consideration  by  those  Gov- 
ernments and  will  soon  be  established.  The  following  countries  have  not  yet  replied 
to  the  institute's  inquiries  on  this  head:  Argentina,  Austria,  Cuba,  Turkey,  Ecuador, 
Ethiopia,  Algeria,  Greece,  Italian  Somaliland,  Japan,  Montenegro,  Nicaragua,  Noiv 
way,  Persia,  Portugal,  Salvador,  San  Marino,  and  Servia. 

The  report  stated  that  this  work  shows  that  while  in  some  countries  admirably 
organized  services  on  diseases  of  plants  exist,  in  others  the  organization  is  entirely 
rudimentary.  In  view  of  this  fact,  and  of  the  great  interest  that  all  countries  have  in 
securing  effective  international  protection  against  the  invasion  and  spread  of  diseases 
of  plant  and  insect  pests,  the  permanent  committee  proposed  that  the  institute  invite 
the  adhering  Governments  to  appoint  an  international  technical  commission,  com- 
posed of  eminent  specialists  from  the  adhering  countries.  This  commission  should 
draw  up  a  program  for  an  international  understanding  and  common  action  on  ques- 


INTERNATIONAL  INSTITUTE   OP   AGRICULTURE.  19 

tions  of  plant  pattiology.  The  proposals  of  the  permanent  committee  on  this  head 
were  unanimously  approved  by  the  third  commission. 

The  permanent  committee  also  proposed  that  the  assembly  recommend  to  the 
adhering  Governments  to  take  specific  steps  for  the  international  control  of  the  trade 
in  forage  seeds  and  for  the  destruction  of  dodder.  On  this  point,  however,  the  third 
commission  considered  that  action  would  be  premature,  as  the  destruction  of  dodder 
is  only  one  of  the  many  points  which  should  properly  come  up  for  discussion  before 
the  proposed  international  commission.  It  was  therefore  decided  to  suppress  that 
portion  of  the  proposals. 

The  third  commission  elected  M.  A.  Jaczevsky,  delegate  of  Russia,  as  reporter  to 
the  general  assembly  on  the  question  of  plant  diseases,  and  the  proposals  of  the  com- 
mission as  presented  by  him  were  unanimously  adopted  by  the  general  assembly, 
as  follows: 

"1.  The  general  assembly  instructs  the  permanent  committee  of  the  International 
Institute  of  Agriculture  to  draw  up  a  report  calling  the  attention  of  the  adhering 
Governments  to  the  need  of  appointing  an  international  commission  on  vegetable 
pathology,  to  draw  up  a  program,  and,  if  possible,  to  come  to  an  understanding  on 
international  measures  for  the  control  of  plant  diseases. 

"2.  The  general  assembly  request  the  adhering  Governments  to  instruct  their 
experiment  stations  to  communicate  without  delay  to  the  institute  the  result  of  their 
experiments,  especially  those  dealing  with  the  efficiencjr  of  the  remedies  against  plant 
diseases,  in  order  that  these  reports  may  be  published  in  the  institute's  Bulletin  on 
Diseases  of  Plants." 

5,  Protection  op  Birds. 

In  accordance  with  the  instructions  given  by  the  general  assembly  in  1909,  the 
permanent  committee  submitted  a  report  on  the  legislative  measures  enacted  in  the 
several  countries  for  the  protection  of  useful  birds,  the  reporter  for  the  committee 
being  M.  De  Miklos  de  Miklosvar,  permanent  delegate  of  Hungary. 

The  following  resolutions  on  this  head  were  passed  by  the  assembly,  on  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  permanent  committee  and  of  the  third  commission: 

"1.  The  general  assembly  takes  note  that  20  Governments  have  enacted  effective 
legiolation  for  the  protection  of  useful  birds,  and  is  gratified  to  note  that  3  Governments 
have  taken  steps  in  this  direction  as  a  result  of  the  decision  of  the  general  assembly 
of  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture  in  1909. 

"2.  In  view  of  the  importance  to  farmers  of  such  protection,  the  general  assembly 
decides  to  communicate  the  data  collected  on  this  subject  to  the  adhering  Govern- 
ments, with  the  request  that  they  complete  such  protection,  and  in  the  case  of  countries 
where  such  protection  is  not  enacted  that  the  necessary  steps  be  taken  to  establish  it 
with  a  view  to  universal  cooperation  for  the  protection  of  useful  birds. 

"3.  The  general  assembly  deems  it  desirable  to  follow  developments  under  this 
head  and  instructs  the  permanent  committee  to  keep  in  touch  with  the  several  Gov- 
ernments, and  to  inform  the  next  general  assembly  of  the  progress  made  in  this  direc- 
tion." 

6.  Dry  Farming. 

A  report  on  this  question  (see  annex  13)  was  submitted  on  behalf  of  the  permanent 
committee  by  M.  De  Miklos  De  Miklosvar,  and  referred  for  study  to  the  third  commis- 
eion. 

The  debate  in  that  commission  showed  that  some  doubt  had  been  expressed  by  a 
minority  in  the  permanent  committee  as  to  the  fitness  of  bringing  up  such  a  technical 
problem  as  dry  farming  before  the  general  assembly.  The  sense  of  the  commission, 
as  expressed  by  the  delegations  of  the  United  States,  Hungary,  France,  and  Tunis, 
and  afterwards  unanimously  indorsed  by  the  assembly,  was  that  the  institute  fulfilled 
one  of  its  functions  in  taking  up  this  matter,  since  the  institute  is  intended  to  act  as  a 
clearance  house  for  the  exchange  of  information  between  the  adhering  nations  on  such 
important  problems.  It  was  shown  that  over  90  per  cent  of  the  countries  represdhted 
in  the  institute  are  directly  or  indirectly  interested  in  the  solution  of  the  problems  con- 
nected with  dry  farming.  It  was  decided  that  the  report  should  be  forwarded  to  the 
adhering  governments  and  their  attention  especially  called  to  the  importance  of  the 
questions  it  raises,  and  the  following  resolutions  were  unanimously  adopted: 

"1.  The  general  assembly  decides  that  the  adhering  governments  be  invited  to 
make  experiments  in  dry  farming,  in  accordance  with  the  method  advocated  by  Mr. 
Campbell,  as  adapted  to  local  requirements. 

"2.  That  the  adhering  governments  be  asked  to  communicate  every  year  the 
results  of  their  comparative  experiments  to  the  institute,  so  that  the  institute  may 
collect  them  and  inform  the  agricultural  world  on  the  efficacy  of  this  method  of  tilling 


20  INTEElSTATIOlsrAl,  INSTITUTE   OF  AGRICULTUKE. 

the  soil,  and  on  the  value  of  the  several  varieties  of  plants,  rotation  of  crops,  and  dif- 
ferent fertilizers  as  deduced  from  the  practical  results  obtained  in  the  different  coun- 
tries." 

7.  Ageicultural  Meteorology. 

In  the  report  submitted  on  behalf  of  the  permanent  committee  on  the  crop-reporting 
service  by  Dr.  Mueller,  permanent  delegate  of  Germany,  the  following  statement  is 
made: 

"Last  year  the  general  assembly  decided  that  the  adhering  States  be  called  upon 
to  communicate  information  of  natural  phenomenon  and  events,  diseases  of  plants, 
and  invasion  of  insect  pests  which  affect  the  condition  of  the  crop.  But  information 
of  this  description  has  been  very  meager,  and  what  has  come  to  hand  has  been  very 
incomplete.  This  is  clearly  a  most  regretable  deficiency,  for  private  news  dealing 
with  these  events  affects  the  bourses  often  to  a  quite  unjustifiable  extent.  By  gen- 
eralizing such  information  the  importance  or  extent  of  the  damage  done  is  almost 
always  exaggerated.  The  only  remedy  is  to  be  found  in  official  information  based 
on  special  inquiries.  But  these  inquiries  can  not  be  made  in  a  haphazard  manner. 
For  this  purpose  a  well-organized  service  of  information  and  inspection  is  required, 
which  unfortunately  does  not  yet  exist  in  many  countries.  The  institute  proposes 
to  make  efforts  to  induce  the  Government  to  organize  such  services,  and  proposals 
MT.11  be  submitted  to  the  general  assembly  for  the  organization  of  an  international 
meteorological  service  for  the  purposes  of  agriculture  and  also  for  an  international 
service  for  the  observation  of  plant  diseases  and  invasions  of  insect  pests.  These 
services  will  be  able  to  cooperate  with  the  crop-reporting  service  already  organized 
witk  a  view  to  exercising  an  effective  control  over  all  private  information  of  a  nature 
to  influence  the  market  for  agricultural  staples." 

The  decision  taken  by  the  assembly  toward  bringing  about  international  action  in 
the  matter  of  diseases  of  plants  and  insect  pests  has  already  been  stated;  similar  action 
was  taken  in  favor  of  an  international  service  of  agricultural  meteorology.  The  report 
for  the  permanent  committee,  made  by  M.  Louis  Dop,  permanent  delegate  of  France, 
sets  forth  the  advantages  which  could  be  derived  from  such  service,  and  describes  the 
nature  and  mode  of  procedure  of  the  meteorological  services  already  existing  in  the 
several  countries. 

It  was  pointed  out  in  the  course  of  the  debate  in  the  third  commission  that  the 
French  Government  had  already  decided  to  organize  this  service  along  the  lines  sug- 
gested by  the  reporter  as  best  suited  for  such  a  purpose,  and  had  made  the  requisite 
appropriation.  M.  Palazzo,  delegate  of  Italy,  and  a  member  of  the  International 
Meteorological  Commission,  expressed  his  hearty  approval  of  the  report.  The  follow- 
ing resolution  was  adopted  by  the  third  commission  and  unanimously  approved  by  the 
assembly: 

"The  assembly  decides: 

"That  the  report  of  M.  Louis  Dop  on  the  question  of  agricultural  meteorology  be 
submitted  ofiicially  by  the  International  Institute  of  Agriculture  to  the  president  of 
the  international  meteorological  committee. 

"The  president  of  the  committee  will  be  requested  to  call  a  meeting  of  his  colleagues 
to  place  before  them  officially  the  request  of  the  institute  that  they  resume  the  study 
of  the  problem  of  agricultural  meteorology,  which  has  already  been  discussed  by 
several  international  congresses  of  meteorology,  with  a  view  to  drawing  up  a  program 
for  the  international  organization  of  agricultural  meteorology. 

"This  program  will  subsequently  be  submitted  for  the  approval  of  the  adhering 
governments,  in  conformity  with  article  9,  paragraph  f,  of  the  convention  of  June 
7,  1905." 

8.    iNStTBANCE   AgAINST   DaMAGE   BY  HaIL, 

A  report  on  this  question,  prepared  by  the  permanent  committee,  was  presented  by 
M.  Bolle,  permanent  delegate  of  Belgium.  It  was  supported  by  a  detailed  study  of 
the  present  status  and  development  of  insurance  against  hail  in  the  different  countries, 
prepared  by  the  bureau  of  economic  and  social  intelligence  of  the  institute.  The 
report  was  referred  for  consideration  to  the  fourth  commission. 

The  permanent  committee,  in  presenting  this  report,  considered  that  hail  is  one  of 
the  most  widespread  causes  of  serious  injury  to  farm  crops  and  that  insurance  against 
this  evil  is  not  as  widespread  as  it  should  be.  It  considered  that  one  of  the  first  steps 
toward  rendering  such  insurance  general,  safe,  and  profitable  would  be  to  procure 
reliable  statistics  on  the  incidence  of  destructive  hailstorms  and  on  the  damage 
caused  by  them  to  the  crops.  Such  statistical  data,  gathered  on  a  uniform  plan  for 
all  adhering  countries  and  assembled  and  published  by  the  institute,  would  form  a 
reliable  basis  on  which  actuaries  could  calculate  the  risk  incurred  and  would  allow 
of  judging  whether  policies  were  issued  at  a  fair  rate. 


INTERNATIONAL  INSTITUTE   OF   AGBICULTTJEE.  21 

The  fourth  commission,  however,  after  discussion,  decided  that  it  would  be  unde- 
sirable to  ask  for  the  detailed  information  called  for  under  this  head  by  the  permanent 
committee.  It  considered  hail  a  local  and  not  an  international  question,  and  con- 
cluded that  the  assembly  should  only  call  the  attention  of  the  adhering  govemmenta 
to  the  subject.  The  following  resolution  was  proposed  by  the  fourth  commission  and 
adopted  by  the  assembly; 

"The  general  assembly  calls  the  attention  of  the  several  governments  to  the  desira- 
bility of  organizing  a  regular  service  for  ascertaining  the  incidence  of  hailstorms  and 
the  damage  they  have  caused,  based  on  the  general  principles  set  forth  in  the  report 
presented  to  the  permanent  committee  on  this  subject. 

"The  general  assembly  also  requests  the  Governments  to  report  to  the  institute 
legislative,  administrative,  or  private  measures  relative  to  insurance  against  hail, 
and  instructs  the  permanent  committee  to  present  a  report  on  this  question  at  the 
next  session  of  the  assembly." 

9.  Statistics  op  Agricuxttjeal  Cooperation. 

The  general  assembly  of  1909  passed  a  resolution  instructing  the  permanent  com- 
mittee to  draw  up  a  plan  for  the  organization  of  international  statistics  of  cooperation. 

The  delegate  of  the  United  States  to  that  assembly,  Mr.  George  K.  Holmes,  made 
the  following  statement  on  this  question: 

"The  proposal  for  the  adoption  of  a  uniform  system  of  statistics  of  agricultural 
cooperation  will  be  received  with  much  satisfaction  by  the  United  States.  The  De- 
partment of  Agriculture  is  making  an  inquiry  into  the  different  branches  of  this  ques- 
tion, and  will  conform,  as  far  as  possible,  with  the  statistical  method  which  the  insti- 
tute will  propose. 

"In  collecting  information  on  agricultural  cooperation  the  United  States  should 
in  future  work  along  the  plan  which  will  be  approved  by  the  institute." 

In  accordance  with  the  instructions  of  the  assembly  of  1909  the  permanent  commit- 
tee ordered  the  bureau  of  social  and  economic  intelligence  to  make  a  thorough  study 
of  the  question. 

On  this  a  report  was  submitted  on  behalf  of  the  permanent  committee  by  M.  De 
Pozzi,  delegate  of  Austria  to  the  present  general  assembly. 

This  report  was  referred  for  consideration  to  the  fourth  commission.  The  discus- 
sion showed  that  the  commission  fully  accepted  the  main  ideas  underlying  the  pro- 
posals. The  proposals  set  forth  that  these  statistics  must  embrace  all  associations 
which  come  within  the  economic  conception  of  cooperation.  They  should  not  be 
limited  merely  to  those  associations  which  are  registered  as  cooperative,  or  which 
come  within  the  purview  of  the  special  legislation  on  cooperation  enacted  in  certain 
countries. 

The  sense  of  the  commission  was  that  the  definition  of  cooperation  given  in  the  per- 
manent committee's  report  should  be  still  further  enlarged  so  as  to  include  all  coopera- 
tive associations  formed  for  the  economic  or  social  advancement  of  the  agricultural 
population.  The  following  resolutions  on  this  head  were  unanimously  adopted  by 
the  fourth  commission  and  by  the  general  assembly: 

"1.  The  general  assembly  considers  that  in  order  to  accomplish  one  of  the  functions 
assigned  it  by  the  convention  of  June  5,  1905,  the  institute  must  possess  comparable 
data  of  agricultural  cooperation  obtained  on  a  uniform  plan. 

"2.  The  general  assembly  therefore  calls  on  the  adhering  Governments  which  have 
not  yet  got  such  statistics,  or  which  have  only  imperfect  ones,  to  organize  such  a  serv- 
ice, so  as  to  make  it  possible  for  the  institute  to  extract  therefrom  Qie  data  it  requires 
and  which  are  scheduled  separately  in  a  later  paragraph. 

"3.  These  data  could  be  commimicated  directly  by  the  different  Governments  in 
their  final  shape;  that  is  to  say,  already  drawn  up  in  tables  of  which  the  institute  would 
furnish  a  sample,  or  they  could  be  abstracted  by  the  institute  itself  from  the  statistical 
reports  sent  in  by  the  Governments. 

"4.  The  general  assembly  considers  that  in  order  to  obtain  accurate  and  comparable 
data  for  all  countries  which  have  some  form  of  agricultural  cooperation  the  inquiries 
must  be  restricted  to  a  few  points.  These  miist  be  fundamental  ones,  and  such  as  to 
give  an  idea  of  the  absolute  value  (if  measureable  in  figures)  or  the  relative  value  of 
agricultural  cooperation  in  the  several  countries.  But  before  deciding  on  the  details 
of  such  statistics  a  definition  of  agricultural  cooperation  must  be  given. 

"5.  The  general  assembly  is  of  opinion  that  in  giving  a  definition  of  cooperation  one 
must  be  guided  not  by  jxiridical  but  by  economic  considerations.  An  association  must 
be  recognized  as  a  cooperative  association  if  it  purposes  to  promote  the  economic  inter- 
ests of  the  members  by  placing  in  common  their  capital  and  labor,  or  by  subjecting 
them  to  mutual  obligations,  even  if  such  association  has  not  the  form  recognized  aa 


22  INTERNATIONAL   INSTITUTE   OF  AGEICULTURE. 

'cooperative'  by  the  jurisprudence  of  the  differient  governments,  and  only  exists  de 
facto,  without  being  registered  or  formally  recognized  by  law.  Nevertheless,  the 
general  assembly  admits  the  advisability  of  stating  in  the  case  of  each  cooperative  asso- 
ciation the  nature  of  its  constitution  from  a  juridical  standpoint.  The  general  assembly 
also  recognizes  the  need  of  taking  into  consideration,  apart  from  the  economic  criterion, 
the  moral  and  social  factors  which  have  a  part  in  the  formation  of  agricultural  cooper- 
ative associations. 

"6.  This  definition  of  cooperation  being  agreed  to  the  different  subdivisions  into 
which  it  falls  should  be  settled,  so  that  each  unit  may  be  properly  classified  from  the 
start. 

"The  general  assembly  considers  that  here  again  practical  rather  than  theoretical 
considerations  should  be  the  guide.  It  must  be  remembered  that  often  one  cooperat- 
ive association  fulfills  several  functions;  therefore  a  cooperative  association  should 
be  classified  under  that  branch  of  its  business,  which  is  of  most  importance;  such  asso- 
ciations rarely  restrict  themselves  to  one  single  branch  of  work. 

"As  a  starting  point  for  the  work  of  each  Government  the  general  assembly  suggests 
the  following  six  main  categories  which  would  seem  to  fit  in  with  present  conditions: 

"Q)  Credit. 

"(2)  Pm-chase  and  purchase  and  sale  combine. 

"(3)  Production. 

"(4)  Production  and  sale  combined. 

"(5)  Insm-ance. 

"(6)  Miscellaneous  cooperative  associations. 

10.  Finance. 

In  conformity  with  article  5  of  the  convention  of  June  7,  1905,  which  established 
the  institute,  it  rests  with  the  assembly  to  fix  the  limits  of  the  expenditure  which  may 
be  incurred  by  the  permanent  committee  and  to  audit  and  approve  the  accounts. 
To  enable  the  assembly  to  discharge  this  important  duty,  a  full  report  as  to  the  finan- 
cial situation  of  the  institute,  along  with  the  estimates  of  expenditure  in  1911,  was 
presented  by  the  permanent  committee,  the  reporter  for  the  committee  being  M. 
Zabiello,  permanent  delegate  of  Russia. 

The  report  shows  that  as  the  several  branches  of  the  institute's  work  were  only 
partially  organized  imtil  January,  1911,  a  surplus  has  accumulated  amoimting,  at 
the  end  of  1910,  to  669,703  francs,  42  centimes. 

The  total  estimated  revenue  for  1911  amounts  to  814,500  francs,  made  up  as  follows: 

Francs. 

Contribution  from  His  Majesty  the  King  of  Italy 300,  OOO 

Quotas  paid  by  the  adhering  Governments 499,  500 

Interest  on  money  deposited 15, 000 

Total 814,  500 

As  the  institute  has  no  need  to  form  a  reserve  fund  in  the  commercial  sense,  the 
permanent  committee  proposed  that  the  sin-plus  of  660,000  francs  be  applied  to  sup- 
plement the  regular  income  of  the  institute  in  meeting  the  requirements  of  the  full 
service  which  is  now  in  working  order. 

The  estimates  for  1911,  presented  to  the  assembly,  show  that  it  is  expected  to  meet 
this  year's  expenditure  out  of  the  regular  income,  though  the  increased  expenditure 
on  printing  may  make  it  necessary  to  draw  on  the  reserve  fund  for  a  sum  which  will 
not  exceed  69,000  francs.  For  the  succeeding  years  1912  and  1913  it  is  easy  to  foresee 
that  the  enlarged  program  of  work  which  the  permanent  committee  is  pledged  to 
carry  out  will  entail  increased  expenditure. 

This  can,  however,  be  met  out  of  the  surplus  over  from  the  first  years.  The  reporter 
expressed  the  belief  that  this  siirplus  would  suffice  to  meet  the  increased  expenditure 
of  the  institute  for  another  three  years,  i.  e.,  until  1915.  But  in  view  of  the  increased 
volume  of  the  institute's  work  it  will  then  become  necessary  for  the  adhering  Govern- 
ments to  increase  their  contributions  to  the  maximum  foreseen  under  the  treaty  of 
June  7, 1905.  In  the  course  of  the  debate  it  was  pointed  out  that  whenever  the  institute 
finds  that  it  requires  that  increased  contribution,  it  has  the  right  to  notify  the  adher- 
iug  Governments  to  that  effect  in  accordance  with  the  terms  of  the  treaty,  which  says: 

"In  any  event  the  contribution  per  unit  of  assessment  shall  never  exceed  a  max- 
imxim  of  2,500  francs. 

"As  a  temporary  provision  the  assessment  for  the  first  two  years  shall  not  exceed 
1,500  francs  'per  unit. ' " 


INTERNATIONAL,  INSTITUTE   OF   AGRICULiTUEE.  23 

In  the  discussion  in  the  first  commission,  to  which  this  report  was  submittedj  the 
delegate  for  Hungary  stated  that  after  the  first  two  years  of  the  institute's  life,  i.  e., 
since  1910,  the  Hungarian  Government,  in  accordance  with  the  treaty,  had  appro- 
priated the  higher  sum  for  its  contribution,  and  was  prepared  to  pay  same  whenever 
called  upon. 

The  action  of  the  general  assembly  was  as  follows: 

The  statement  of  receipts  and  expenditure  for  the  financial  years  1909  and  1910 
and  the  estimates  for  1911  were  approved. 

The  assembly  decided — 

To  vote  a  lump  sum  to  cover  the  expenses  of  the  institute  for  the  years  1912  and 
1913;  this  lump  siim,  amounting  to  a  maximum  of  2,298,000  francs,  will  include 
all  the  sums  available  for  the  financial  years  1912  and  1913,  and  is  subdivided  as 
under: 

Francs. 

Balance  from  previous  years  (minimum  60,000  francs)  maximum 669,  000 

Total  receipts  expected  in  1912 814,  500 

Total  receipts  expected  in  1913 814,  500 


Total 2,298,000 

2.  To  request  the  Govemmenta  of  the  adhering  countries,  through  the  interme- 
diary of  their  respective  delegations,  to  insure  the  regular  payment  of  their  annual 
contributions  to  the  institute  during  the  first  fo;ir  months  of  the  year. 

11.  Miscellaneous. 

In  connection  with  the  discussion  of  the  various  branches  of  the  service  of  the 
institute  in  the  collection  of  statistical  and  other  information  from  the  several  coun- 
tries, it  was  deemed  wise  by  the  general  assembly  to  permit  the  permanent  committee, 
in  cases  where  it  seemed  desirable,  to  arrange  for  the  selection  of  individuals — officers 
of  the  Government  or  otherwise — in  the  several  countries  to  supply  documents  and 
other  material  to  the  institute.     The  following  resolution  was  adopted: 

"  The  general  assembly  decides  to  accept  the  principle  of  appointing  official  corre- 
spondents to  the  institute  in  conformity  with  article  20  of  the  by-laws. 

"  These  correspondents  will  supply  the  institute  with  the  requisite  scientific  docu- 
ments." 

Aside  from  the  formal  resolutions  of  the  general  assembly  above  set  forth  certain 
less  formal  actions  in  the  nature  of  expressions  of  wishes  or  desires  were  taken.  These 
were  as  follows: 

"1.  The  general  assembly  expresses  the  wish  that  the  permanent  committee  place 
in  the  hands  of  the  adhering  Governments  the  reports  on  questions  up  for  discussion 
before  the  general  assembly  at  least  two  months  before  the  assembly  meets. 

"2.  The  general  assembly  of  the  institute  considers  that  the  competent  bureau 
would  do  a  very  useful  work  in  collecting  the  greatest  possible  number  of  data  and 
practical  information  on  the  cost  of  production  of  agricultural  staples  on  certain 
estates  in  different  countries,  and  by  publishing  such  information  in  a  special  chapter 
of  the  Bulletin  of  Agricultural  Intelligence. 

"3.  The  general  assembly  expresses  the  wish  that  the  institute  request  the  adhering 
Government  for  regular  information  on  the  consumption  of  fertilizing  substances, 
BO  as  to  insert  such  information  in  the  monthly  Bulletin  of  Agricultural  Statistics." 

Before  concluding  its  proceedings  the  assembly  requested  its  president  to  convey 
to  his  Majesty  the  King  of  Italy,  through  the  proper  channel,  the  expression  of  its 
most  sincere  gratitude  for  his  continued  and  generous  support  of  the  institute  and  the 
personal  interest  he  takes  in  its  work. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  proceedings,  Mr.  Foster  delivered  the  following  address  in 
the  name  of  the  American  delegation: 

"My  fellow  delegates  from  the  United  States  and  myself  can  not  let  this  assembly 
bring  its  proceedings  to  a  close  without  expressing  our  appreciation  of  the  courteous 
consideration  with  which  the  suggestions  and  proposals  made  by  the  American  dele- 
gation have  been  received.  We  wish  to  place  on  record  the  great  pleasure  it  has 
given  us  to  be  thus  brought  in  contact  with  so  many  eminent  authorities  from  all  the 
nations  of  the  world. 

"The  delegation  wishes  to  express  its  thanks  to  the  officials  of  the  institute,  to  the 
president,  and  to  the  permanent  committee  for  the  work  accomplished  so  far,  which 
IS  full  of  promise  for  the  future.  These  results  are  largely  due  to  the  untiring  and  intel- 
ligent work  of  the  illustrious  president  of  the  institute,  Marquis  Cappelli. 

"Rome  is  the  seat  of  the  institute,  and  Rome  will  always  be  its  permanent  head- 
quarters, but  it  has  occurred  to  me  and  to  my  colleagues  of  the  American  delegation 


24  INTERNATIONAL,  INSTITUTE  OF  AGRICULTUEE. 

that  the  general  assembly  might  perhaps  hold  its  sessions  from  time  to  time  in  other 
countries.  I  do  not  make  this  suggestion  as  a  motion  to  be  discussed  or  considered  at 
this  time.  I  only  wish  to  say  that  if  ever  the  permanent  committee  sees  fit  to  adopt 
such  an  idea,  and  if  the  institute  would  accept  the  invitation,  the  Government  of  the 
United  States  would  be  proud  to  receive  the  representatives  of  all  the  nations  as  its 
guests  at  Washington. 

"This  delegation  wishes  to  state  to  the  assembly  the  profound  impression  made  on 
it  by  seeing  gathered  in  this  hall  the  representatives  of  all  the  nations  of  the  earth, 
convened  together  not  to  discuss  the  interests  of  one  country  or  of  one  people,  but  the 
economic  interests  of  the  whole  human  family. 

"As  the  eminent  delegate  of  Chile  remarked  in  this  morning's  debate,  the  primary 
need  of  our  civilization  is  to  have  at  a  fair  price  an  abundant  supply  of  the  staples 
of  agriculture,  which  are  the  daily  bread  and  clothing  of  the  people. 

"The  peoples  of  the  earth  pray  every  morning  for  their  daily  bread,  and  the  prob- 
lem which  the  institute  has  to  solve  is  to  so  regulate  the  relations  between  consumers 
and  producers  that  this  daily  bread  may  be  bought  and  sold  at  a  price  which  will  be 
fair  to  both. 

"By  solving  this  dual  problem  we  shall  strengthen  the  nations  in  their  sovereignty, 
bind  the  world  together  in  the  new  internationalism,  and  hasten  the  dawn  of  tJie 
day  of  the  lasting  peace  of  God." 

o 


